Chet Baker Live at Ronnie Scott's

This video was recorded in 1986, about two years before jazz legend Chet Baker fell to his death from an Amsterdam hotel window, clutching his trumpet. He was the golden boy of jazz in the early 1950s, auditioning for and winning a place in Charlie Parker's band at the age of 22. He was remarkably good looking in his youth and one of the leading lights of the West Coast cool jazz scene. But he was also a major-league junkie and not unfamiliar with the inside of a jail cell. As we see Baker in 1986, the signs of hard living are alarmingly evident. When the video was filmed he was about 55 years old--he looks a whole lot older. But his horn was still smoky, cool and terrifically expressive and his vocals were more wistful than ever. He's joined by Van Morrison, who sings Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns," and Elvis Costello, who sings a couple numbers very effectively and also serves as Baker's on-camera interviewer, during the segments in which he speaks about his life. Beautiful jazz; scary bottom line. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Van Vleck)