Chet Baker: 'The Prince of Cool'
He was at the forefront of the cool jazz movement
Last updated 29th Jun 2020
Dubbed the "Prince of Cool", Chet Baker is famous for being at the forefront of the cool jazz movement.
The American trumpeter and vocalist was born in 1929, quickly became the iconic face and sound of the West Coat cool jazz scene in the 1950s. Chet and the cool jazz movement was a sharp contrast to the furious and fast playing of bebop from figures (like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie) by playing slower and more expressive melodies.
How did Chet Baker get famous?
Chet's first break came from playing with baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan's unorthodox quartet, but went solo when Mulligan spent a spell in prison for narcotics offences.
Despite becoming a superstar, due to his accessible style and famously good looks, with jazz historian and critic Dave Gelly calling him "James Dean, Sinatra, and Bix, rolled into one", Baker's career was often curbed because of his substance abuse problems.
After his career stalled in the 1960s, he had a resurgence in the 1970s and 1980s, recording over 100 albums during his lifetime.