Chet Baker the Cool School
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The "Cool" Life of Chet Baker
Chet Baker was a new bread of Jazz player in is time. He not only was white, but young and attractive. These carachteristics helped to introduce jazz to a whole new audience. His great trumpet playing and singing charisma helped to classify him as the "prince of cool jazz." Baker however was not able to fully capitalize on his talent and good looks due to his introduction to heroin.
Chesney Henry Baker was born on December 23, 1929 in Yale, Oklahoma. Chesney Baker Sr., his father, first introduced him to music, as he was a semi-pro guitarist in a country band. Baker and his family moved to Glendale California, a Los Angeles suburb. Chet recalled his earliest music experiences as when his mother
"used to drag me around to the amateur contests that they had in L...