Chet Baker’s 1958 record, “Chet Baker Sings: It Could Happen to You,” feels like a dream.  Nearly each melody has this sort of beautiful melodic touch, alongside Baker’s vocal tone where his vocal tone perfectly accompanies the lyrics behind each song. More surprisingly was how each song ranges a different beat, when you can have this upbeat jazz melody from “Do It The Hard Way,” all the way towards a mellow ballad that’s accompanied by this sort of soft brushing drum beat in “Everything Happens to Me.” And what’s interesting is how his trumpet playing can vary. Often sounding normal, but other times, he adds his mute to the instrument, replicating that Miles Davis tone that we know.

But one thing for sure is how everytime I think of Chet Baker,, I think of this anecdote from when he performed in 1986 during the seventh edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal. And, I cannot take any credit for this story because the man who experienced this, is the co-founder of the event. André Ménard. Chet Baker was scheduled to perform a concert alongside Canadian jazz pianist Paul Bley on Thursday, July 3, 1986, at 11 p.m. at the Théâtre St-Denis in Montreal. On the day of the show, Baker was nowhere to be found. Ménard finally got a hold of the pharmacist to where Baker was living right above, and asked him to get Baker out of bed, and on a direct to Montreal.  Almost kinda like an “arm extension,’ of the jazz festival grabbing Baker, and bringing him to Montreal. When Baker arrived he wasn’t looking too good. Even during the rehearsal he seemed okay, but off. Only to find out later that he managed to score some dope. During the concert Baker was playing off key, the wrong songs, while Bley was doing his best to follow. Eventually Bley had no choice but to escort Baker off of the stage and continued the concert solo by playing some Baker standards on his piano. At around 2:00 A.M., Ménard found Chet Baker at the former L’Hotel du Parc, feeling ready, and willing to play music for a crowd. But, Ménard refused, thinking of the jazz festival’s reputation. After lots of pushback was drawn between the two, Ménard eventually told Baker, “If you play one note of that trumpet, I’ll break it on your head.” The following year Ménard was at a restaurant in New York City only to find out that Chet Baker was performing there, and decided to visit him in the kitchen which was pretty much the “backstage.” He then asks him if he remembered the concert in Montreal, and Baker recalls how Bley sucked and was completely off key during the concert. But what’s interesting from this was, who was also at that restaurant that evening in New York City, and knew Chet Baker. It was Gil Evans. This talented musician has done so many great records, including my favourite one, “Quiet Nights,” with Miles Davis. Because of Chet Baker’s fiasco in Montreal, André Ménard got the chance of finally meeting, and booking Gil Evans for the 1987 edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal. It’s just interesting how terrible events can make up for outstanding future ones.