Chet Baker was an elusive icon whose song lyrics take on new meaning when viewed in light of his charmed and doomed life. A musical homage to the “Cool jazz” legend, A Tribute to Chet Baker, will examine his life and legacy through music and lyrics at Voices Café at the Unitarian Church in Westport (10 Lyons Plains Rd.) on May 11 at 8 p.m.
Five of the area’s top jazz musicians—trumpet player Chris Brown, vocalist Kim Oler, pianist Nick Bariluk, bassist David Snyder, and drummer Bob Leonard—will perform an evening of Baker's signature songs, including the timeless, My Funny Valentine, There Will Never Be Another You, and his famous Let’s Get Lost. The Tribute concert will explore Baker's emotive, cool jazz approach.
"Chet was such a monumental talent, it will take two of us to recreate his stuff," laughs trumpet player Brown, remarking how he and Oler will combine to cover Baker's horn and vocal talents. "Chet Baker's music is an antidote to the brash, aggressive world we're surrounded by," adds Brown. "His music makes it's own world. It's a wonderful world to live in."
A leader of the West Coast school of cool jazz in the 1950s, Baker had a restrained, intimate playing style on trumpet and flugelhorn. His singing was just as intimate, with a remarkable voice that was delicate, plaintive, evanescent. Though his life was haunted by addiction and ended much too soon, Baker is revered as one of the original voices in jazz. His matinee-idol good looks were not lost on filmmaker Bruce Weber. He rightfully focused on Baker’s musical influence in his highly acclaimed documentary, Let’s Get Lost (1988).
In the Tribute, Kim Oler will sing songs that are associated with Baker and that have become regular inclusions in his own concerts, including, That's All, Time After Time, and There Will Never Be Another You.
For tickets, phone (203) 227-7205, or visit voicescafe.org.
In addition to playing trumpet and flugelhorn, Chris Brown is an acclaimed sound engineer and producer, recording many of Paul Winter's CDs as well as jazz greats like Jack McDuff and Al Gray. A Bethel resident, he was classically trained at Oberlin College and has been playing jazz for more than 30 years.
Kim Oler has a 27-year career both singing songs from the American Songbook and writing music for theatre, television, and cabaret. He is the winner of two Emmy Awards, two Richard Rodgers Awards, and the 2002 BMI Jerry Harrington Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in the Musical Theater. He is also composer of the hymn "For the Earth Forever Turning" in the UUA hymnal which has been widely performed and recorded, notably by the Paul Winter Consort.
Nick Bariluk, pianist, has just released a new album of jazz standards, Wide Open Dreams, with his group New England Sky. He records and produces talent in his Danbury studio. He has worked internationally with such major talent as Pat Metheny, Randy Brecker, Grover Washington Jr. and Herbie Hancock drummer Mike Clark. He has also composed music for over 30 films and PBS documentaries,
Bob Leonard, a formidable drummer, has played locally with New England Sky as well as Chris Brown and Nicole Pasternak. He is a veteran of the Woody Herman Orchestra, Dave Liebman’s band, and many others.
David Snyder, bassist, has been active in the jazz world, primarily in New York City since the early 80s. His diversity has allowed him to work with artists like Rosemary Clooney and Patti Page. David studied with bassist Michael Moore, and taught as an adjunct professor at New York University.