Chet Baker: The Final Days

[scooby]

No happy ending to this story, but an interesting discussion of Chet's life and music. It includes some fine playing.

 

http://www.jazzwax.com/2015/08/chet-baker-the-final-days.html

[Cyril]

Scooby, I cannot read the link. Hope this works....

 

http://www.jazzwax.com/2015/08/chet-baker-the-final-days.html

Some more:

 

 

[clifford_thornton]

I recall reading somewhere that he and Frank Wright hung out a lot towards the end of Baker's life.

[Gheorghe]

yeah, I remember a Book on Chet Baker, written by a Dutch jazz expert with lot of Infos about the later part of Chet´s live.

Chet never had his own place and used to stay in small Hotels and at friends, or better said "Connections". One of them, if I remember right, was a "Dr. Bob" or "Dr. Rob", a supposed MD who hosted and maybe provided with Methadone some of the junkey (or former junkey) jazzmen like Chet, Frank Morgan and Woody Shaw......

[Cyril]

This Bob was Bob Holland, one of his dealers. The book you mentioned is:  "Chet Baker: His Life and Music" written by Jeroen De Valk. This  book includes interviews with Chet himself as well as his wife Carol, his manager, and fellow musicians like Lee Konitz, Bud Shank, and Russ Freeman. It includes two up-to-date discographies: a select, narrative one devoted to Chet's best releases, and a complete catalog of his 200+ recordings, rated from one star (Chet's bad days) to five (Baker classics). The text is enhanced by over 40 photos of Baker and his associates.
 
See: http://www.jeroendevalk.nl/books/his_life_and_music_CB.html

Chet was a close friend of Jacques Pelzer.  Pelzer studied pharmacy and he was the owner of a pharmacy shop (!!!) . Jacques was in Europe one of Chet Baker’s best friends for more than 25 years. Chet lived in Jacques’ house in Liege, Belgium,  for quite a long time. They toured through Europe together (and twice in the States) and made recordings together. Jacques and his daughter Micheline cared for Chet and helped him wherever they could.....

 

Edited August 18, 2015 by Cyril

[Gheorghe]

yeah I had forgotten the Name of the author, but the book is quite interesting. But I remember the Name of the Manager, Wim Wigt, Wim and Rita organized very much for Americans in Europe or Americans touring Europe. He remembers the difficulties with Chet to make sure he will get from one town Country to another just to make the gig.

Those "friendships" (Connection) were quite usual. The most famous Connection Chet Baker had was Jaques Pelzer, who sometimes played flute.

And though the chapter "A Queer Night in Bruxelles" from Ross Russel´s book "Bird" is just Invention and fiction, I´m sure things like that happened.....

By the way: the last time I saw Chet on stage was late in 1987, just a few month before his death. He wasn´t late, he played wonderful , was very articulate. After the first set he announced "we´ll be back in 15 minutes", and that´s exactly what it was, short break and a wonderful second set. I still remember some of the  musicians from that gig: , Nico LaStila played flute and even some guitar, and on bass was the great Austrian Bassist Hannes Strasser.

Another thing: they also did "Stella By Starlight" and Chet announced that it´s usually done in B flat, but "we´ll do it in G...." . Sound´s great in G. Since I got perfect pitch I think I can compare quite well the different moods of a tune if you play it in a different key..........,

wonderful memories.......

[Cyril]

This is an  interesting story by the late Durium (Hans Koert).  

http://keepswinging.blogspot.nl/2011/03/chet-baker-historical-dutch-sesjun.html

[Quasimado]

This is an  interesting story by the late Durium (Hans Koert).  

http://keepswinging.blogspot.nl/2011/03/chet-baker-historical-dutch-sesjun.html

Interesting as usual. I did not realize Durium was no longer with us ... a very informative site. Many thanks.

Q

[clifford_thornton]

Interesting re: Pelzer. I should read that book.

[Moko]

Thanks for posting the YouTube link it was great to watch, alongside all the factual books there's also Bill Moody's novel http://www.jerryjazzmusician.com/2002/04/bill-moody-author-of-looking-for-chet-baker/ which is a great read if you love jazz and detectives 

[Balladeer]

Movie coming soon

http://www.slashfilm.com/born-to-be-blue-clip/

BTW: short film "The Deaths of CB" is an atmospheric play from different angles about how Chet might have come to death in Amsterdam´s hotel Prins Henrik.