JAZZ Fans: Chet Baker "Let's Get Lost" Documentary on Youtube

BillyBatts

BillyBatts

ALOHA!
Bruce Weber's "Let's Get Lost" Chet Baker Documentary is available for viewing on Youtube. It's in English, but the subtitles are Spanish. I was able to ignore them, after all, the price is right. I've been wanting to check this film out for a while. Well, here it is.

If you're a Jazz Fan, this is worth viewing;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfPeqWtvEYQ
 
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An excellent documentary film, saw it @ an "art" (read: vintage revivalist/small independent/former porno) theater inNYC when it was released in -- what -- 1988-1989? It becomes quickly tough, gritty, and morally challenging, IIRC.
 
Yea. I'm surprised that I never saw it until recently, since I've been into Jazz since 1977 and have always liked Baker.

I remember watching "The Talented Mr. Ripley" years ago when they were in the Italian Jazz Club and singing "My Funny Valentine" and I thought, "Man, I HAVE to find a copy of "Let's Get Lost" and watch it". But, nope. Wasn't untill I found it on Youtube that I actually did see it. YEARS later. Better late than never. Good documentary. Worth the wait for me.
 
I have a burnt copy of this. Its been floating around the torrent networks for years. Flea from the Chili Peppers is in it. He's the young guy on the beach with the hippy dancing chicks. Him and Baker have a great moment during a meal where they both, at the same time, perfectly recite a Gillespie solo note for note. Loved that part... Chet reaching out to the kids, you really see him at his most relaxed and social. Great movie which didn't shy away from a tough reality. That said, alot of critics think it gave too much credence to his demons and not enough to the music.
 
I have a clean VHS tape of it I got a number of years back ...
A sad tale, but highly recommended!
 
poppachubby said:
I have a burnt copy of this. Its been floating around the torrent networks for years. Flea from the Chili Peppers is in it. He's the young guy on the beach with the hippy dancing chicks. Him and Baker have a great moment during a meal where they both, at the same time, perfectly recite a Gillespie solo note for note. Loved that part... Chet reaching out to the kids, you really see him at his most relaxed and social. Great movie which didn't shy away from a tough reality. That said, alot of critics think it gave too much credence to his demons and not enough to the music.
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I don't know enough about Baker really, but I get the feeling that the whole demons vs talent thing can be hard for critics/commentators/etc.

I recently bought one of the newer OJC Baker CDs(In New York I think, or maybe Chet), and Keepnews kind of walks the fence on it in the new liner notes.
He comes right out and admits how hard was for him to write them due to how Baker acted during his Riverside years.

Thanks for the link, Billy. I haven't watched this yet.
 
KrisM said:
He comes right out and admits how hard was for him to write them due to how Baker acted during his Riverside years.
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Well Riverside years is not accurate. He basically stopped over in NYC and recorded all of those albums in a short span, before heading to Italy. Cash grab but we wound up with some pretty decent hard bop albums from a player who was generally not associated with that style.

Even the most factual books are filled with disputed events - even his death was shrouded in mystery.
 
poppachubby said:
Well Riverside years is not accurate. He basically stopped over in NYC and recorded all of those albums in a short span, before heading to Italy. Cash grab but we wound up with some pretty decent hard bop albums from a player who was generally not associated with that style.

Even the most factual books are filled with disputed events - even his death was shrouded in mystery.
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You took the words right out of my mouth, Pops. That's right on the money.

Good post.
 
Ah, OK.
More like a "Riverside year"?

The CD I'm talking about must have been a borrowed one(Chet).

The notes for In New York have Keepnews penning the original ones, and Doug Ramsey doing the re-issue ones.
He(Ramsey) wrote that Baker's time in New York came to an end after he lost his cabaret card because of a sentence to Rikers for a drug bust. And because of that, he fled to Europe.
It also mentions that it was Keepnews' partner that assumed Baker's Pacific contact.
I seem to recall that from the Chet notes that Keepnews wasn't happy about it.

This is all starting to make me realize why I didn't dig deeper with his story. So confusing.:D
 
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KrisM said:
Ah, OK.
More like a "Riverside year"?

This is all starting to make me realize why I didn't dig deeper with his story. So confusing.:D
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Haha... don't get the wrong impression, I am far from a chronological expert when it comes to his life. I can't offer any details but now that you mention the prison thing, yes... he needed a cash grab before splitting to Europe.

Do you have the three volumes of his trio at the Montmartre?

Chet_Baker_in_New_York.jpg
 
poppachubby said:
Haha... don't get the wrong impression, I am far from a chronological expert when it comes to his life. I can't offer any details but now that you mention the prison thing, yes... he needed a cash grab before splitting to Europe.

Do you have the three volumes of his trio at the Montmartre?
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Yeah, I find it all confusing, yet interesting.

Can't say I have a lot of his stuff, so no, I don't have any Montmartre material.
Worth searching out I take it?
 
Oh, and I read recently that apparently there's a film about him being shot in Ontario right now, with Ethan Hawke in the lead.
Who knows how it will turn out.
 
KrisM said:
Oh, and I read recently that apparently there's a film about him being shot in Ontario right now, with Ethan Hawke in the lead.
Who knows how it will turn out.
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Interesting. I did not know that. And apparently, neither did Cortana. :D
 
KrisM said:
Oh, and I read recently that apparently there's a film about him being shot in Ontario right now, with Ethan Hawke in the lead.
Who knows how it will turn out.
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If its Hollywood, it will be like the Johnny Cash movie. What's more exciting than revisiting all the low points and embarrassment in a musical genius' life?
 
poppachubby said:
If its Hollywood, it will be like the Johnny Cash movie. What's more exciting than revisiting all the low points and embarrassment in a musical genius' life?
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Yeah, good point.

I was thinking it might turn out like that movie about Chess. Quickly picking and choosing the good/bad moments to fit the script, and glossing over a pile of people/moments that would have actually added to the story.

At least Hawke looks the part.:D
 
KrisM said:
At least Hawke looks the part.:D
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Haha, yes we do have that. I think this is why when it comes to a bio nothing can even approach a book. The bottom line is that you can't make an engaging movie without highlighting and/or focusing on problems in these artists' lives. Every now and again we get a half decent "bio-pic" but overall they do nothing to truly convey the full story.

The Cash movie isn't alone, the Ray Charles movie had the same crux. A meteoric rise from nowhere town America, drugs, problems because of drugs, get clean, the end. With icons like these they manage to focus on 10 - 25 years and leave out the other 40 - 50.
 
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