Chet Baker Quotes

Chet Baker was born in Yale, Oklahoma. He was an American jazz trumpeter, vocalist and singer. Baker earned much attention and critical praise through the 1950s, particularly for albums featuring his vocals. In 1952, Baker joined the Gerry Mulligan Quartet, which was an instant phenomenon. In 1953 and 1954, Baker won the Down Beat and Metronome magazines' Readers Jazz Polls, beating out the era's two top trumpeters, Miles Davis and Clifford Brown. Down Beat readers also voted Baker as the top jazz vocalist in 1954. His well-publicized drug habit also drove his notoriety and fame; Baker was in and out of jail frequently before enjoying a career resurgence in the late 1970s and '80s.