Bob, I’m enjoying reading your thread as I do enjoy Chet. My millennial saxophone playing daughter will visit from afar this coming weekend. She recently declared she wants to play the trumpet. I’ve shared this thread with her and we’ve resolved to a listening session with Mr. Baker. Thanks!
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I’m so glad that’s lovely.
Through the rest of 1980 and into 1981 Chet continued to play live throughout Europe and it was another live recording by Circle Records ’ My Funny Valentine’ Live at The Salt Peanuts Club with Jon Eardley and Bob Mover recorded in May 1981 that is Chet’s next release.
It is the best of a bad bunch on Circle Records and again a means to an end it was not his best vocal or playing by any means but does have some very good music especially by Jon and Bob, the recording is for some reason very atmospheric almost haunting especially My Funny Valentine and at times can transport you back to 1980’s Cologne.
Jon Eardley too had, had a promising career back in the 1950’s and had played and recorded with Gerry Mulligan, Phil Woods and Zoot Sims, Bob Mover was another American Jazz ex pat making a living in Europe he began his career back in New York playing with Charles Mingus at the 5 Spot Cafe back in 1973 and had played with Chet many times during the proceeding 5 years.
Chet Baker - My Funny Valentine, Live at The Salt Peanuts Club with Jon Eardley & Bob Mover,
Circle Records (1981)
Tracklist
A1. Resonant Emotions - Written-By Jimmy Heath |9:50|
A2. Ray’s Idea - Written-By Fuller, Brow |13:00|
B1. My Funny Valentine - Written-By Rodgers & Hart |7:50|
B2. If I Should Loose You - Written-By Robin & Rainger I14.40I
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Bob Mover
Bass – Rocky Knauer
Drums – Burkhart Ruckert
Flugelhorn – Jon Eardley
Piano – Dennis Luxion
Trumpet, Vocals – Chet Baker
Recorded Live at the Salt Peanuts Club Köln, May 1981.
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Back in the U.S towards the end of 1981 and into 1982 Chet’s drug use rocketed as his reputation and reviews nosedived he could still attract a crowd but his appearance, unreliability and the hit and miss nature of his performances when he did turn up where now more of a talking point than his playing.
As always though Chet was still capable of pulling off the odd performance that would leave those who witnessed it in awe.
Matthias Winckelmann owner of German Jazz label Enja had the idea of pairing Chet with David Friedman a percussionist and composer to record an album made up entirely of Friedman songs.
The composer visited Chet at the apartment where he was staying and played him one or two of the songs he had written for the album when he asked Chet to get his trumpet and play along Chet told him he didn’t have a trumpet and that Winckelman had promised to buy him a new one in time for the recording.
On the first day of the recording session Winckleman and Friedman along with bassist Buster Williams and drummer Joe Chambers sat waiting for Chet who failed to appear, late in the afternoon a search party was sent out to look for Chet who was found at one of his drug taking haunts he promised to turn up the next day.
Friedman and co feared the worst because even if Chet did show up all he had left was an afternoon in which to record a whole album of difficult music he’d never heard on a trumpet he’d never played but at each take Chet put the trumpet to his lips and astounded Friedman with his improvisation not knowing any of the peculiar chords he responded to them all in the moment, without thinking and totally by ear. The experience had a profound effect on the classically trained composer who for many years after tried to emulate Chet’s spontaneity convinced he had witnessed something great that day in the studio.
There are some cracking tunes on the record ‘Lament for Thelonious’ that closes side one and all of side two are quite brilliant when you consider the state Chet was in at the time he had sold his trumpet and most of his possessions to buy the heroin that he was according to people who new him at the time injecting into the main vein in his groin and between his toes because they where the only places left where he could find a vein to inject into.
At this point any glamour that some people might associate with drug taking was left a long, long way back with the beautiful pin up who had been picked to play with and by Charlie Parker what was left was a shell, a shadow who because of the enormity of his talent could still from time to time captivate an audience.
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Chet Baker, David Friedman, Buster Williams & Joe Chambers – Peace, Enja Records (1982)
Tracklist
Syzygies 7:35
Peace 4:17
Lament For Thelonious 10:10
The Song Is You 7:06
Shadows 4:35
For Now 7:30
Bass – Buster Williams
Drums – Joe Chambers
Marimba, Vibraphone – David Friedman
Trumpet – Chet Baker
Recorded on February 23, 1982 at Vanguard Studios, New York.
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A month after recording ‘Peace’ for Enja Records Chet pulled off another brilliant performance this time for Creed Taylor’s CTI the album Studio Trieste was an ambitious undertaking featuring the best of both young and old Jazz musicians. Jim Hall, Steve Gadd, Gary King, Herbert Laws, George Mraz, Jack Wilkins, Jorge Dalto, Sammy Figeuroa and Kenny Barron and of course Chet came together and recorded four tracks arranged by Don Sebesky.
On Side 1 a brilliant version of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and of Miles’ All Blues, Side 2 though isn’t my cup of tea all though I can still appreciate the quality of the musicianship.
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Chet Baker, Jim Hall, Hubert Laws – Studio Trieste, CTI (1982)
Tracklisting
A1. Swan Lake - Composed By Tchaikovsky
A2. All Blues - Composed By M. Davis
B1. Malagueña - Composed By E. Lecuona
B2. Django - Composed By J. Lewis
- Bass – George Mraz (tracks: A1, B2)
- Drums – Steve Gadd
- Electric Bass – Gary King (tracks: A2, B1)
- Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
- Flugelhorn, Trumpet – Chet Baker (tracks: A1, A2, B2)
- Flute – Hubert Laws (tracks: A1, A2, B2)
- Guitar – Jack Wilkins (tracks: A2), Jim Hall (tracks: A1, B1, B2)
- Keyboards – Jorge Dalto (tracks: A2, B1)
- Percussion – Sammy Figueroa
- Piano, Electric Piano, Synthesizer – Kenny Barron (tracks: A1, B2)
Recorded at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on March, April 1982
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At the beginning of 1983 Chet reunited with his old promoter Wim Wigt the Dutchman had washed his hands of Chet back in 1979 after one too many no shows but now with all Chet’s European legal problems behind him and with all travel restrictions lifted the two joined forces once more and Chet went on a non stop criss crossing of Europe playing venue after venue some small big and all funding his voracious drug habit.
The whole thing was held together by Wigt’s road manger dubbed ‘King of the Roadies’ Peter Huijts and he needed to be with Chet to look after, one night in Nice after safely depositing Chet onstage Huijts turned to find Chet exiting stage left saying that his trumpet needed oiling a very, stoned Chet then proceeded to ‘oil’ his horn with his denture glue, and that was the end of that concert.
A Europe wide tour with Stan Getz was Wigts next undertaking for Chet, Getz though was hesitant to say the least he was now clean and attending AA after over a decade long addiction to Heroin and alcohol. His career was back on track he was playing live again and was recording really well received albums and had even recently played at the White House.
A tour with Chet was a guaranteed money maker so Getz eventually agreed but with a very strict set of rules he refused to travel through any customs point with Chet, refused to use Chet’s band who where all also drug users and reserved the right to fire Chet point blank if he didn’t behave.
The tour started and finished badly when Getz flew into a rage after discovering Chet was going to try to smuggle heroin into Saudi Arabia. On lookers stated Getz had never really been happy on the tour as usually upstaged by Chet who was so beloved by the European audiences and always got the biggest and longest applause. Getz still had the same iron grip over the material but had always lacked both imagination and improvisational skills of even a very stoned Chet Baker.
A film was made of the concert in Stockholm on February 18th and a recording released the film is very much worth watching and tells its own story the two musicians play most of the time with their backs to one another and play exactly how they look a relaxed, unshaven and very casually dressed Chet is in complete contrast to a stiff Stan Getz in shirt, tie and slacks.
Even so it’s a recording I really enjoy the record is released as Line for Lyons on Sonet Records and can still be found for pretty reasonable amounts.
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Stan Getz & Chet Baker - Line for Lyons, Sonet Records (1983)
Tracklist
A1. Just Friends - Written By John-Klenner, Sam M. Lewis
A2. Stella By Starlight - Written By Ned Washington, Victor Young
A3. Airegin - Written By Sonny Rollins
B1. My Funny Valentine - Written By Rodgers-Hart
B2. Milestones - Written By Miles Davis
B3. Dear Old Stockholm - Arranged By Stan-Getz, Written By Trad.
B4. Line For Lyons - Written By Gerry Mulligan
Bass – George Mraz
Drums – Victor Lewis
Piano – Jim McNeely
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
Trumpet, Vocals – Chet Baker
Recorded live in concert at Södra Teatern, Stockholm, Sweden on February 18th, 1983 by the Swedish Broadcasting Corp.
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Unsurprisingly Chet made Amsterdam his European headquarters where he roomed with Evert Hekkema a young Dutch trumpet player in awe of him. About an hours drive south in the sleepy seaside town of Monster was Studio 44 where Chet would record many times for his manager
Wiim Wigt’s Timeless label it was here in March 1983 that ‘Everything Happens To Me’ was recorded with the excellent Kirk Lightsey Trio.
Chet’s output on Timeless Records are some of my favourite records and like the Danish SteepleChase releases are excellently recorded and mastered.
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Kirk Lightsey Trio with Chet Baker - Everything Happens To Me - Timeless Records (1984)
Tracklist
Inner Urge 6:07
Girl With The Purple Eyes 4:58
Ray’s Ideas 4:52
Speak No Evil 6:57
Everything Happens To Me 10:45
Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum 6:53
Bass – David Eubanks
Drums – Eddie Gladden
Piano – Kirk Lightsey
Trumpet – Chet Baker
Recorded at Studio 44, Monster Holland on March 14, 1983
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1983 was another busy year for Chet recording in Norway, Holland, Sweden, Germany, Belgium and France and continuing to play throughout the continent. Whilst driving through Italy with his band Chet who almost always drove narrowly avoided a huge pile up but ‘King of the Roadies’ Peter Huijts car was involved but with lightning speed they managed grab their instruments before the roadies car caught fire.
Later down the road on the same trip on which Chet was travelling with pianist Michel Graillier’s wife Micheline who he’d ‘rescued’ after the pianist had badly beaten her the pair who where both heavily using ran out of money in Rome, Chet drove to the SIAE Italy’s version of ASCAP and got a million Lire about $650 advance against royalties for his old prison compositions telling them he had bronchial pneumonia and needed money for medical bills.
Jumping back in the car with a huge grin Chet declared to Micheline ‘let’s get high’ and sped off to score some drugs. These two anecdotes perfectly describe the chaos of Chet’s life at this time but even so from time to time he was still able to play and record quality music and was still a big draw in Europe.
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In August 1983 Chet was in Norway playing with the pianist Per Husby and was recorded at the beginning and the end of a short and very successful tour first on the 15th at the Hot House, Oslo and then on the 30th at Club 7 also in Oslo both recordings where released together as ‘The Improvisor’ on Cadence Records.
Less than a month later Chet was at Igloostudios Brussels recording with the excellent Belgian musicians guitarist Phillip Catherine and bassist Jean-Louis Rassinfosse on the album Crystal Bells and again that same month in Sweden playing with the Åke Johansson Trio at the Jazzclub Nerfertiti which was recorded and released on Dragon Records.
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Chet Baker - The Improvisor, Cadence Records (1983)
Tracklist
| Margarine | 9:35 |
|---|---|
| Polka Dots And Moonbeams | 8:15 |
| Beatrice | 8:55 |
| Gnid | 10:25 |
| Night Bird | 13:25 |
Bass – Bjørn Kjellemyr (tracks: B1, B2), Terje Venaas (tracks: A1 to A3)
Drums – Espen Rud (tracks: B1, B2), Ole Jacob Hansenen (tracks: A1 to A3)
Piano - Per Husby
Trumpet - Chet Baker
Side A recorded Live at Club 7, Oslo, Norway on 8/30/83
Side B recorded Live at Hot House, Oslo, Norway 8/15/83
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