AS THOUGH I HAD WINGS...

In Memory Of 90-Year-Old Chet Baker

Ferenc Kovács (Öcsi) - trumpet, vocals
Sára Dizna Kovács - flute
Dávid Ülkei - saxophone
Róbert Rátonyi - piano
Ferenc Gayer - double bass
János Weszely - drum

Host: Kornél Zipernovszky 

"I don't know whether I'm a trumpet player who sings or a singer who plays the trumpet," said the legendary figure of cool jazz in an interview. It is hard to decide as Chet Baker's restrained trumpet play and vocals are equally unforgettable and filled with emotion.

His carreer is a kind of roller coaster: he became really famous in 1952 when he was chosen by Charlie Parker to be his partner in a West Coast concert series, after which Baker joined the Gerry Mulligan Quartet. The quartet's version of My Funny Valentine, in which Baker plays a solo part, was a great success and became the tune that Baker is most associated with. The handsome young musician was also noticed by Hollywood, but after the movie Hell's Horizon he chose the life of a traveling musician.

From 1957 onwards, heroin destroyed his life. He went to jail several times until, after a concert in 1966, he was brutally beaten, his teeth knocked out, and his oral muscles, which are vital to trumpets, were severely injured. He returned to the stage after a two-year forced break marked by unsuccessful attempts. At first, he played West Coast jazz on the flugelhorn, then returned to traditional jazz. Critics praised his more powerful, metallic sound. According to many, this was Baker's most mature period.

His life ended on May 13, 1988, when he fell out of the window of Hotel Prins Hendrik in Amsterdam. On the wall at the entrance of the hotel there is a relief in his memory.

So let's remember Chet Baker a few days after his 90th birthday listening to the songs he especially liked to play, including: Autumn Leaves, My Funny Valentine, Summertime, Every Time We Say Goodbye, and Secret Love.

Cecília Szőke

Tickets: 2000 Ft, Student tickets: 1000 Ft

Sponsor: National Cultural Fund