Chet Baker

Chesney Henry 'Chet' Baker Jr. was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist whose melancholic trumpet tone and whispery, vulnerable singing voice defined the West Coast 'cool jazz' movement of the 1950s. Rising to prominence with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet in 1952, their pianoless rendition of 'My Funny Valentine' made Baker an overnight sensation.

With his Hollywood matinee-idol looks and effortless melodic lyricism, Baker crossed over to mass popular acclaim with albums like Chet Baker Sings (1954). Despite lifelong struggles with severe heroin addiction, arrests, and the loss of his teeth in an assault, Baker continued to deliver heartbreakingly intimate, fragile trumpet performances across European clubs until his tragic death in Amsterdam.