As Though I Had Wings: The Lost Memoir [Hardcover]

Chet Baker (Author), Carol Baker (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1997

Chet Baker, legendary trumpeter and singer, dominated the jazz scene of the 1950s. These memoirs recall Baker's early childhood, then launch into a full-bodied and lush account of his jazz-driven journey to self-awareness and his reinvented career in the 1970s and 1980s. Radio promo.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Chet Baker, poster child for West Coast Cool Jazz and patron saint of its notorious lush life, kept a diary. Published by his estate and introduced by his widow, his entries have been tailored to a memoir of his life from 1946 to 1963. These are the years of his rise to stardom in music and movies--and his tumble into the trenches of incarceration and drug abuse. The book is divided into 13 quick-reading chapters in which Baker writes of his life as a musician, all seasoned with tales of drugs, prison terms, and a laundry list of romances. Often, though, his writings are not spicy enough; births, deaths, pregnancies, and car chases are noted without much detail. What must have been extremely charged times are written about with a kind of academic disinterest: "Moving quickly toward the noise, as did everyone else, I saw Dick lying on the floor. He had passed out cold, and several people were trying to figure out what was wrong with him. We located a doctor and cleared the stage area. I should point out that Dick had always taken care of business; always at work on time and always playing exceptionally." While some readers may be disappointed by the lack of layered passion one hears in Baker's voice or in the smooth and solid sound of his horn, there is still considerable value in reading his own account of his story.

From Kirkus Reviews

A posthumous sliver of autobiography from one of the heroes of '50s jazz. Although Baker, a brilliantly laid-back trumpeter and vacantly compelling vocalist, was at the forefront of the ``cool'' jazz movement, his career foundered early because of his heroin addiction and hapless propensity for getting into hot water. His memoir glides from childhood through his entry into the thriving West Coast jazz scene and the busy years of his first success. Baker grew up poor in Oklahoma and L.A., dropping out of high school at age 16 to join the army. He played in the army band (``Since there wasn't anything alcoholic to drink, some of the guys mixed Aqua Velva with fruit juice''), then got himself discharged in order to concentrate on playing jazz. He jammed with Dexter Gordon, served a stint as Charlie Parker's sideman, achieved widespread notice in Gerry Mulligan's combo, and was jailed more than once for drug use. Baker notes with bleak cheer the first time he tried pot: ``I loved it, and continued to smoke grass for the next eight years, until I began chipping and finally got strung out on stuff. I enjoyed heroin very much, and used it almost continually, in one form or another, for the next twenty years.'' Later, deep in junkiedom, he confides, ``I traveled to Munich . . . and got in some trouble. I wasn't prosecuted, but they did hold me for three weeks.'' At such moments, Baker's near-apathy, muffled humor, and refusal to emote seem like a perfect prose analogue to his chillingly affectless singing style. The memoir peters out in 1963, by which time Baker (who died in 1988) was working precariously in Europe. Even when discussing his peak years, Baker concentrates more on drug busts than music. Still, this is a morbidly fascinating window onto his hobbled genius. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 118 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st Buzz Books ed edition (November 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312167970
• ISBN-13: 978-0312167974
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #703,164 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chet's Trip, November 25, 1999

By 

Robert W. Norton (Minotola, New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: As Though I Had Wings: The Lost Memoir (Hardcover)

Read without Chet's music playing, the book drags at some points; and it becomes abundantly clear the Chet was not a writer. There is, however, a certain pathos that emanates from it that speaks volumes to those who loved his work. Read with his music playing in the background, it becomes an emotional feast for those of us who shared our youth with his wonderful, sensual horn and plaintive vocals on some of the greatest jazz classics. It is hard to measure Baker since his talent--though abused by himself-- can never be denied. Read this book with his "Strings' album and it will be hard to keep a dry eye. I couldn't. Raw life told in a low key, subdued style--just like his musical interpretations. Well done, Chet, and thanks for the melodies and memories. We miss you.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book should have 2 ratings., April 21, 1999

By 

William Whelan (Ireland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: As Though I Had Wings: The Lost Memoir (Hardcover)

This book should have 2 ratings. One rating for die hard fans (5 stars) and another for those with a casual interest (2 stars). It is a very short book it is padded by using large text and reproducing on every second page Chet's diary entries as the appeared in his note book. It is a nice package but really only for a genuine fan. I greatly enjoyed the book myself but I would be reluctant to reccomend it to the casual reader.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars it is the way it ought to be, February 16, 2000

By 

Jessica - See all my reviews

This review is from: As Though I Had Wings: The Lost Memoir (Hardcover)

this wasn't written with a target audience in mind. It is not an autobiography after all. A reader who expects Baker to retroactively, posthumously, glamorize his life is not going to find that here. It is a simple subtle breakdown of experiences a memoir, not a confession or pledge of allegiance. It reads quick, its a poignant little piece sprinkled with occasional glimpses of pleasure but, as within most lives, insight doesn't typically employ a formula. That didn't bother me a bit. Its just the nature of this little sliver of reading experience. And its good!