CHET BAKER PLAYING AT RONNIE SCOTT'S 1986

I can't find any live films of Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan.

This is 1986 at Ronnie Scot's. The recording lasts an hour, and the playing is beautiful. When I hear just a single note on the trumpet, I know if it is Chet Baker. His tone is that distinct. His playing is sparse, no showing off, no look at me being clever, lots of space.

The film consists of Chet playing with a trio, singing, and being interviewed. Throughout you can see the strain of the addiction problem. There are a couple of nondescript singers in the film including Elvis Costello. The interviews are disappointing in that they do not cover the glory of Baker's career, his time with the Mulligan Quartet and nothing about playing jazz. It didn't even cover the time he got his teeth smashed in by thugs.

At 4.58 there begins an interview about Chet's early start.  At 5.45 he sings Just Friends with its bittersweet lyrics.
At 10.30 the interview continues and he bemoans the decline of the jazz clubs in the USA now. Just after 1900 a very unusual beautiful song for jazz, Send in the Clowns Chet just backs the vocal.
At 2100 he tells of how he got into Charlie Parker's sets in LA when he was 22.
At 38 there is a lovely, hypnotic bass riff being played. Lovely final interaction between the bass and the piano.
At 4500 he talks about drug problems. He stayed out of prison, he says, because the judge was a trumpet player.

Pity, a wasted opportunity. Rubbish interviewer.

John


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