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Wed Apr 26 21:51:24 CEST 2006

Chet Baker, Romantic moments/Very best of

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 A few years ago, I
was doodling around at a record store in the jazz section, and
just picked a record at random. This record (well... CD
actually) ended up being one of my favourite CDs over
time. The first time I listened to it, the combination of the
melancholy lyrics and his incredibly expressive trumpet skills
took me away from the present, to some far away place where I
felt so much at home. 

I just can't get enough of this record. Today I put it on,
and decided to do some (very cursory) research about him. 

I was astounded to see that there were a gazillion sites
about covering his music and person. Apparently he was the
James Dean of the Jazz subculture back in the 50s. Good
looking, genial musical talents. But he was a druggie, and
this caught up with him- he lost his looks, his voice, and
many of his teeth. All of the sites I read agree that his
heroin/marijuana/booze addiction messed him up majorly, but
strangely most also agree that his music just got better and
better. He finally passed away in 1988, having fallen (?) out
of a window.

Tragic. But god, his music. Awesome.

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