Chet Who?????

Whenever I hang around musicians, particularly jazz guys, and the talk turns to favorite trumpet players I always mention Chet Baker (vocals too and here in 1964 just trumpet) as one of my faves, knowing my choice will be met with snorts and sighs. Miles is always the one and only choice, leaving Louis Armstrong out as an uncle Tom and Harry James out as just another whitey posing as a talent. Wrong on all counts and Atlas Shrugged has a Chet Baker montage to choose from. Any of the vocals still stand out. The guy was the usual 50s jazz junkie and he died like all junkie jazz guys leaving only a partial legacy. His funeral took place in Amsterdam where he lived, presumably to be closer to a heroin supply, and a fist fight broke out among the very few mourners at the funeral service. As for James......He played with Bernny Goodman in the late 30s, formed his own band and was the first one to hire Frank Sinatra, and was the first instrumentalist to become a major box office draw. Below two of Harry James old hits....





He was what was called sweet, so good that nobody ever tried to play his way again.