Ray Chapa Blog: Chet Baker Everything happens to me- A Moment in J...

Ray Chapa Blog: Chet Baker Everything happens to me- A Moment in J...: Great jazz musicians made jazz music history with beautiful sounds. Some changed all jazz. Saxophone, trumpet, piano, bass ,vocals and mor...

Thanks for commenting. Ray Chapa.

Chet Baker Everything happens to me- A Moment in Jazz History.

Great jazz musicians made jazz music history with beautiful sounds. Some changed all jazz. Saxophone, trumpet, piano, bass ,vocals and more. In jazz the skilled performer will interpret a tune in very individual ways, never playing the same composition exactly the same way twice. Depending upon the performer's mood and personal experience, interactions with other musicians, or even members of the audience, a jazz musician/performer may alter melodies, harmonies or time signature at will.  The jazz soloist is often supported by a rhythm section who "comp" (accompany the soloist), by playing chords and rhythms that outline the song structure and complement the soloist. As with the case here. 

Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker, Jr. was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and singer. In the 1950s, Baker earned much attention and critical praise, particularly for albums featuring his vocals, such as Chet Baker Sings.     

Born: December 23, 1929, Yale

Died: May 13, 1988, Amsterdam  

biography

Chet Baker was a primary exponent of the West Coast school of cool jazz in the early and mid-'50s. As a trumpeter, he had a generally restrained, intimate playing style and he attracted attention beyond jazz for his photogenic looks and singing. But his career was marred by drug addiction. After a while Baker initially played in Vido Musso's band, then with Stan Getz. (The first recording featuring Baker is a performance of "Out of Nowhere" that comes from a tape of a jam session made on March 24, 1952, and was released on the Fresh Sound Records LP Live at the Trade Winds.) His break came quickly, when, in the spring of 1952, he was chosen at an audition to play a series of West Coast dates with Charlie Parker, making his debut with the famed saxophonist at the Tiffany Club in Los Angeles on May 29, 1952. That summer, he began playing in the Gerry Mulligan Quartet, a group featuring only baritone sax, trumpet, bass, and drums -- no piano -- that attracted attention during an engagement at the Haig nightclub and through recordings on the newly formed Pacific Jazz Records (later known as World Pacific Records), beginning with the 10" LP Gerry Mulligan Quartet, which featured Baker's famous rendition of "My Funny Valentine".  A Moment in Jazz History will be the feature title of this Blog, fitting as it may be that Chet Baker touched our lives in such a way that only Jazz Music can describe. Impromptu by the moment and hour that he lived, and sharing his gift with us. Chet Baker was one of a kind, And that may be the way he wanted it.   
Thanks for commenting. Ray Chapa.

Ray Chapa Blog: Timeless Classic The Main Ingredient - Spinning Ar...

Ray Chapa Blog: Timeless Classic The Main Ingredient - Spinning Ar...: A Great Time in Music History- The 1970`s. A care free time when almost every aspect in music was at it`s peak. Groups like The Main Ingre...

Thanks for commenting. Ray Chapa.

Ray Chapa Blog: Teena Marie - 'Wishing On A Star'

Ray Chapa Blog: Teena Marie - 'Wishing On A Star': Her voice is so satisfying, one  couldn`t help but adore her. Teena Marie was one of the Largest Show Stoppers around for a number of years...

Thanks for commenting. Ray Chapa.

Ray Chapa Blog: Timeless Classic The Main Ingredient - Spinning Ar...

Ray Chapa Blog: Timeless Classic The Main Ingredient - Spinning Ar...: A Great Time in Music History- The 1970`s. A care free time when almost every aspect in music was at it`s peak. Groups like The Main Ingre...

Thanks for commenting. Ray Chapa.

Timeless Classic The Main Ingredient - Spinning Around (1970)

A Great Time in Music History- The 1970`s. A care free time when almost every aspect in music was at it`s peak. Groups like The Main Ingredient helped unite people with tunes such as this one. This song has a beautiful melody with a vocal quality un-matched by many of the times. 
The group was formed in Harlem, New York in 1964 as a trio called the Poets, composed of lead singer Donald McPherson, Luther Simmons, Jr., and Panama-born Tony Silvester. They made their first recordings for Leiber & Stoller's Red Bird label, but soon changed their name to the Insiders and signed with RCA. After a couple of singles, they changed their name once again in 1968, this time permanently to the Main Ingredient, taking the name from a Coke bottle.
The Main Ingredient then teamed up with record producer Bert DeCoteaux. Under his direction, the Main Ingredient reached the R&B Top 30 for the first time in 1970 with "You've Been My Inspiration." A cover of The Impressions' "I'm So Proud" broke the Top 20, and "Spinning Around (I Must Be Falling in Love)" went into the Top 10. They scored again with the McPherson-penned black power anthem "Black Seeds Keep on Growing," but tragedy struck in 1971: McPherson, who had suddenly taken ill with leukemia, died unexpectedly. Stunned, Silvester and Simmons regrouped with new lead singer Cuba Gooding, Sr., who had served as a backing vocalist on some of their previous recordings and had filled in on tour during McPherson's brief illness.                                                                                                                            The Gooding era began auspiciously enough with the million-selling smash "Everybody Plays the Fool," which hit number two R&B and number three pop to become the group's biggest hit ever. The accompanying album, aptly titled Bitter Sweet, became their first to hit the Top Ten on the R&B charts.
It gives me such pleasure to write about this decade and the music that made it all happen.
Thanks for commenting. Ray Chapa.

Teena Marie - 'Wishing On A Star'

Her voice is so satisfying, one  couldn`t help but adore her. Teena Marie was one of the Largest Show Stoppers around for a number of years. Her presence on stage only accented her great voice. She sang a number of different styles of music along with writing and producing much of her own material. Some of her works are still enjoyed  on the R&B,  Jazz, and Dance charts. Indeed, Teena has been missed for she passed away a few years ago. I hope you enjoy this version of this song as only she could do. RIP Teena.
Thanks for commenting. Ray Chapa.