Chet Baker to this day is still considered a key figure in modern jazz both in the United States but, above all, in Europe where he would return frequently and loved to perform.
Gifted with such phenomenal musical abilities, right from the start Baker was predestined to work with some of the most outstanding jazz soloists of his era. This included Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, the baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan as well as saxophonist Paul Desmond. His best recordings, however, didn’t come until the last years of his life, and despite or perhaps rather because of his many indulgences and excesses, over time his art of improvisation took on an ever more fragile and intimate feel.
There are countless reasons for including this jazz icon in the programme of this year's Prague Proms 2022 festival. Ultimately, though, the Let’s remember Chet Baker will be an opportunity for the Czech National Symphony Orchestra along with the trumpeter Jan Hasenöhrl to pay tribute to the extraordinary musician.