Chet Baker: This is what happens when "An American dream gets dragged through the mud"

A Chet Baker documentary. Jazz trumpeter Chet Baker has been dubbed by some as “The James Dean Of Jazz,” because of his good looks or affectionately known as "the great white hope" of jazz, by some black musicians because of his comparison to Miles Davis.
Playlist - • Jazz Legend Biographies
#chetbaker #chetbakerdocumentary #jazztrumpeter #jazztrumpet #jazz #chetbakerbiography #chetbakerdocumentary #chetbakersings #myfunnyvalentine #timeaftertime #alonetogether #milesdavis

[@barflytom3273]

The documentary 'Let's Get Lost" is a must watch.

[@bruinsremco]

Instead of James Gavin's book, I'd strongly recommend reading Jeroen de Valk's book about Baker, which gives a far better balanced view of Baker's character. For starters, De Valk is genuinely interested in Baker's music and person, instead of only being morbidly fascinated by his drugs habit. Furthermore, Gavin can't be accused of even having the slightest interest in Baker's music.

[@jeffreywegener8841]

Thanks . Man was a huge talent & did it tough . Drug problems can destroy people creative people are particularly vulnerable. But the morbid negativity of many narratives contribute to the stigma & consequently less chance of recovery.

[@michaelgarza8271]

That's rather unfortunate considering that he's one of the greatest artists of the 20th century...

[@michaelwilson2340]

Well his drug use did overshadow his career. He blew it. Sort of like the Johnny Thunders of jazz.

[@Rondo2ooo]

​@michaelwilson2340 So, what is more important for you? Listen to what he accomplished and played so far, or personal tragedy. The latter is for the yellow press only.

[@bruinsremco]

@@Rondo2ooo Amen!

[@miedgarful]

I spoke to Chet when he played in Vancouver between sets in the early eighties. I liked his music.

[@jeromealexandre4162]

What was he like ?

[@barflytom3273]

I listened to him in Toronto at Bourbon Street jazz club one night, there were six or seven people in the club. different times.

[@Jazzmaster58]

Hi, I am a Jazz musician and I was a heroin junkie and the comments on the video are very illustrative of the discrimination, bordering racism, that junkies are the victims of because people don't understand that junkies, are mental patients on self medication, which is a consequence of the lack of interest on dealing with mental disorder in general. Poverty plays a big part in this charade.

[@cirocasarin]

I'm sorry, mate. There's an excess of criticism and a lack of comprehension on social media. From a fellow jazz musician to another, all of my respect.

[@adamburgins441]

Junkies give and take

[@jimrich4192]

Junkies are victims of early childhood or some kind of emotional TRAUMA & can be HELPED ...if they want it...most don't.... so be it... go where Chet & Bird went!!!! 😢

[@pena.3302]

Thank you.

[@rollyherrera623]

I hope you understand "Was," actually means "I am." Stay sober brother, and don't forget how bad it was, and how easily it could be worse today...

[@timages]

I've only know him from those final tragic years, this bio clip was very informative regarding what a fine musician he was, ( you don't get picked by the great Charlie Parker if you don't have game). It turns out that 1955 was a pivotal year for Chet, had he kept a foot in Hollywood who knows how his life might have turned out. He had the 50s heartthrob looks and that soft vocal style. He could have starred in a series of films, Elvis with a trumpet. It was both shocking and surprising to hear about his relationship with women, ...from the music he made I wasn't expecting that. Sad all around.

[@user-gj1ym6dq3b]

Haha, as if a Hollywood career is the high point of everything. He strived for musical and artistic integrity; much more important.

[@AndyTomaselli]

grateful that Elvis Costello wrote Almost Blue for him which is one of my favorites. There is so much pain and anguish and beauty in his instrument and vocals in that one

[@daccrowell4776]

Daaamn... that's some quality bio right there! You hit the important parts, kept things from going in the ditch when you started into Chet's heroin troubles...great sourcing on the visuals, background music, and importantly... it's obvious you're doing it for the music and not the clout. Best new bio/history I've run across on YT in the past couple of weeks! Ya did Chet proud, too. Props.

[@onetrackjazz]

Thank you, my friend

[@ronaldboykin9755]

I met Chet Baker back in the mid 70s at Carlos Santana’s rehearsal house in San Francisco. It was obviously there to cop some drugs and it was clear to me he was strung out! He had a beautiful voice and a smooth tough to the trumpet!

[@andrewhockenberry6476]

left us with so much...

[@jimrich4192]

...left us with a dire warning = GET HELP BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE! 😂

[@Dave_Hepler]

He made soft singing important- naturally letting his easy horn sound happen. Charlie Parker selected him out of scores of West Coast cats to play w him. Lived much longer than Clifford but maybe not that much longer living life rights- that warm ballad sound!!!!!

[@markburnham7512]

I have known a few true musicians in my life, and my experience has been that they need to be musicians and can't be anything else. They answer a different call and cannot conform to anything resembling the "square life", frequently at their own peril and the heartbreak of those who love them. All we can do is appreciate what their gift has left for us. Baker was such.

[@mayazzow2129]

No truer or accurate words have been said regarding musicians.

[@MassiveChetBakerFan]

You skipped over 1980-1988, which in my view was the highlight of his career, when he produced his most sublime work. Check out his many recordings in this period of Sad Walk, Estate, Leaving, Night Bird, Round Midnight, Arborway, etc. They are incredible.

[@ninakim7282]

GREAT!

[@waynshor7073]

Fantastic job again!Thank you.Amazing how chet improved his playing through the years.His playing got more and more simple and deep.He matured (musically) very well.I recomend specially his quartet with Duke Jordan on the steeplechase label where his solos are close to perfect!

[@redstar7292]

There is no true beauty without decay. Jung had a theory that highly creative people can have a this destructive shadow. Some how he's more memorable for what he was with his chasmic flaws & faults, than simply being the clean cut, angelic trumpeter.

[@msmith53]

Chet was one of the great and inspirational leaders of West Coast Jazz style. Pepper, Mulligan, Getz, et al. were innovators in the ‘50’s. Cool Talent and skilled player who contributed much to the game. Many cannot understand the frustration of playing at such levels and having to play “background” music to drunks who talk over your best stuff as a way to make a living. Don’t judge from afar if you can’t understand!!

[@mongoharry]

Like Sting said, we're "Fragile".

[@Da_Publick]

The worst thing you can do as a 'customer' is to beat people out of their money.

[@mxmllrguitar]

Keep uploading these great videos! I would also love longer versions in the future. Could you do a video about the life of Grant Green?

[@richsackett3423]

When I had a recording studio about 15 years ago, one of the pictures on the wall was a framed cutout of You Can't Go Home Again. That picture was a caution that you can be the most talented and successful mf ever yet destroy every last bit of it with drugs until you area literal shadow of your former self.

[@adamburgins441]

Sad

[@jimrich4192]

It's not DRUGS that destroy you, it's UNHEALED TRAUMA that destroyed many greats who were unable or unwilling to find some HELP. 😮

[@alexkalish8288]

He was a heroin addict for the last 20 years of his life. No one had more soul. One of my favorites ever - This is a wonderful video of his career.

[@jimrich4192]

Show me his childhood & relationship with his parents & I can & will say exactly what happened to/for him & WHY. His good/Bad relations with women show me that something was VERY WRONG between him & his mom & perhaps his dad as well. He looks to me like a seriously WOUNDED CHILD & that usually begins at home with TRAUMATIC PARENTING. Shame he never got the kind of help that is available these days for survivors of CHILHOOD POST TRAUMATIC STRESS IMO, his entire life was all about a TRAUMATIZED CHILDHOOD with TRAUMATIZED PARENTS!! 😢😢😢😢

[@Sonperson]

thank u

[@djhoneylove5710]

This was a good video. Thanks Alexander.

[@Packyboy]

Nice work. Thank you.

[@barrypaton9726]

My Funny Valentine. I loved his music.

[@christopherbarker181]

A crying shame! Sure he accomplished a lot but can you imagine a Chet Baker clean! Clifford Brown as well as many new jazz artists have proven that you don't have to rely on drugs to be great! I can only imagine.😥

[@zivkovicable]

Heroin never made anyone play better.

[@jimrich4192]

For me, "clean" means: EMOTIONALLY HEALED or perhaps TRAUMA FREE. That often requires HELP! AA helped me! 😮

[@christopherbarker181]

@@jimrich4192 I don’t dismiss the demons he had I just wonder why. He was in the Army and played with the Army band and appeared to have a good upbringing. I am a trumpet player myself and admire the talent he had. It’s the same question I ask about Joni Mitchell….she had a voice from God and couldn’t put down those blasted cigarettes. Bix Beiderbecke was the same way…dead at 28 from alcohol. Look what Art Blakey used to do; he supported his players habits then spent their money on his habit; I’m surprised anyone wanted to work with him. Thanks for the comment!

[@zivkovicable]

@@jimrich4192 Yes it's almost impossible without some kind of support. AA helped me quit. One to one psychotherapy helped with the past trauma i had buried. I can now cope, but I would not describe myself fully emotionally healed, and that's perhaps too high an expectation. But at least now the good days considerably outweigh the bad. & that thought pulls me through crisis. .

[@eximusic]

C'mon - Bill Evans, Lennie Tristano, Gerry Mulligan, Dave Brubeck long before Chet.

[@evanherb5900]

Nah.

[@marknewton6984]

Good list 😎

[@jimmyguitar2933]

I saw Chet Baker at a small jazz club in San Francisco towards the end of his life ('84-ish). He looked like hell, had no teeth, but could still play and (more or less) sing.

[@ISuperTed]

It’s strange, but his playing in the last few years, despite all the abuse of his body by the drugs, were IMHO his very best. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve played his Live at Ronnie Scotts recording along with the fantastic big band concerts close to his death. I know many say he copied and was influenced hugely by Miles (who is my all time favourite), but I don’t think that at all. Chet had his own unique way of playing and there still isn’t anyone who could interpret and get such feeling out of standards.

[@msmith53]

Yes!

[@nazbowie9620]

Great job man! New subscriber. Looking forward to dipping into the past vids.

[@onetrackjazz]

thank you my friend, enjoy!

[@beerybill]

I was in Paris late 1963 and learned Baker was playing at a spot I recall as the Fishing Cat. Sorry, but I don't speak French and that may not be exactly the correct name. There were three musicians. Baker playing flugelhorn, trombone, and drummer. After the first tune (Baker sounded great) the drummer split and the following tune was a duo with Baker playing drummer via brushes on a chair during the trombone solo. Soon after the trombone player split followed by Baker and then yours truly.

[@kimgill2021]

good work keep it up !

[@adrianronquillo507]

This cat could've been a huge star but he didn't want to play the showbiz game...

[@jameshudkins2210]

He was too wasted and flaky.

[@zivkovicable]

He played the game more than some. Posed and styled photo shoots. Recording easy listening pop tunes...He just kept forgetting to turn up because he was an addict. . .

[@adrianronquillo507]

@@zivkovicable they offered him movie contracts recording contracts...he wasn't that into it ...hence he didn't play the showbiz game

[@jamescampoccio1152]

He chose the artist's road, not the entertainers. The drug habit didn't make the road any better, or any worse.

[@DavidAndersoniiVI]

Chet had the coolest licks of em all!

[@rafaelrieck6655]

Eine Story toll erzählt. Great musician and great storyteller!

[@webstercat]

Heroine addiction never ends well.. I find him brilliant and disgusting at same time. His music brings despair when hear it so I avoid it.

[@sublimeister9630]

Look at the Rolling Stones… Mick Jagger looks far worse than him. 😂

[@IndianOutlaw1870]

Baker looked worse at 58 than even Jagger did.

[@volpeverde6441]

probably owed money.... he was PUSHED....

[@nielskjr5432]

A few months before his death he was recording with the German Radio Bigband. They couldn't understand why Chet Baker didn't turn up for the sessions. Well, it turned out the doorman wouldn't let him in. He looked really bad, like a homeless person.

[@walterhayley7252]

Lots of rumors and theories have Baker being thrown from his window by unpaid drug dealers. Either way, a very sad ending...

[@bobbibaker4685]

Elliott Smith's voice has been compared Baker's.

[@alexcarter8807]

All Chet had to do was emulate his friend Dizzy Gillispie, who was a good money manager, took pride in being dependable, and was a hell of a trumpet player too. Dizzy could play high, but he'd be in tune up there, take note some of you whistling tea kettles. Chet could have done very, very well for himself.

[@jimrich4192]

All Chet had to do was GO FOR HELP! ....like some other DAMAGED ppl did! 😮

[@wraithstrongopark]

"every girl's crazy bout a sharp dressed man!"

[@krusher74]

Kidz. say no to drugs!

[@jimrich4192]

Brakers message for me: "Do not live an entire life & then die with UNHEALED TRAUMA...FIND HELP... IT'S AVAILABLE! " ❤

[@temporoboto]

💙

[@FPoP1911]

Ok I clicked on this and as a jazz and chet fan that got me here, that voice and narration got me subbed in like... the first 10 seconds.

[@steveconn]

Such a sad narcissistic guy (Deep In A Dream such a depressing book) but beautiful talent ❤

[@rvbsoundfactory]

Oh boy.

[@michaelwilson2340]

Deep In A Dream is one of my favorite music biographies. A cautionary tale about the junkie lifestyle. I love his 50's and early 60's albums but the guy was a terrible human being. Especially the story of Baker abandoning his dog while on tour.

[@seattlebeard]

I remember the disgraceful hipsters who appeared in the film Let's Get Lost showed him several photos of nude models and asked him if he'd had sex with them. He was embarrassed, but too polite and strung out to tell them to go to hell. It was disgusting exploitation. I got the impression he was only doing the film so he could score more drugs. At least on one can cheapen his music.

[@benlandro6776]

who are we to judge?

[@focusonu9668]

,💯💯

[@JamesW225]

A great among giants

[@georgemilanez8033]

Excellent, from a closet clarinetist.

[@johnledford694]

Pretty as James Dean, one of the very hottest jammers on the axe, a seductive and soothing voice, but long before those days he started messing with dope, with women. Whom he seemed to always mistreated women and was eternally unfaithful. Died at 58 on the street in Amsterdam fallen out of a window and crushed on the sidewalk. High or just careless? Pissed away all that talent and good looks, end the end looked like an old emaciated junkie. Where didja go, Chet? And why?

[@mayazzow2129]

Tragic, albeit common story of a fantastic talent that dives into the deep of heroin.

[@rollyherrera623]

A sad cliche'....When it's good; stay there....

[@ultrasignificantfootnote3378]

I think he decided to release himself out of the window , similar to the photographs.

[@Mike49if]

Played trumpet on and off my whole life. Love Chet's playing, truly an amazing sound and style. Don't like the singing, agree with Russ Freeman that it was a money-making gimmick. Even with the drugs he is one of the greatest. Chet, Miles and Clifford.

[@sublimeister9630]

Kanye West would think otherwise about his mysterious death. 4-13-88… that’s quite esoteric number. The devil is always in the fine print of Fame & Wealth, from “generation to generation.” Good thing, he didn’t have children… 👍😎

[@onetrackjazz]

actually he did have children, but he also had a lot of different women in his life, that's a whole different video for the future

[@chrisbrimhall1613]

His later years he looked like Charles Manson

[@TomRivieremusic]

Ruined his life over drugs.What a waste.

[@ganglestank]

His death was never deemed an accident. The cause was speculated to be either a fall, a suicide attempt or a murder attempt. I should know, i’m related to him

[@volpeverde6441]

CHET was never gonna make the system BIG MONEY....he just kept ticking over to pay for his jones....in the end he was PUSHED....owed dealers/record company, etc....probably....

[@ganglestank]

@@volpeverde6441 no it was miles davis who hired that group of people who knocked his teeth out, according to chet. That narrative is bullshit, it wasn’t dealers or record companies. He was the first person to ever learn how to play with dentures. That beating was supposed to cripple him as a musician and he didn’t let it, so they took the one think he surely couldn’t play without: his life

[@barflytom3273]

ganglestant. he wasn't cleaning the windows that's for sure.

[@ganglestank]

@@barflytom3273 he would play his trumpet while sitting in the window, which he was known for. He had his trumpet clutched in his arms when he was found dead

[@barflytom3273]

@@ganglestankalright. thank you for the information. appreciate it.

[@tomcoryell]

What? His dad had to get a job? What a travesty! Baker sure screwed Art Pepper over….

[@marknewton6984]

Art Pepper:. Greatest ever 😎!

[@psjasker]

Not an indictment of the American Dream! Did he not have access to a church, a temple or an ashram? Not every man can handle freedom.

[@patrickashby15]

Chet Baker was good musician but he was simply not in the same league as Dizzy Gillespie or Miles Davis or Clifford Brown

[@zeenuf00]

He died a drunk and a junkie like half the jazz world.

[@jimrich4192]

He died of UNHEALED TRAUMA... like much of humanity has for eons!!!

[@marknewton6984]

Jazz Life is tough.

[@allenhanford]

He was a great trumpeter but his singing was absolutely awful.

[@fndngnvrlnd]

The Great American Dream Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha The United States of Fentanyl.

[@DavePocklington]

Kensington and Skid row don't look like no dream to me.

[@dickhugmeyer2276]

I liked his singing