Biography
Larry Baskett conveys Chet Baker as his defining influence through every aspect of his trumpet work and earnest singing. Colorado was the site of his birth, after which his family relocated to Kansas at age two and later established themselves in northern California once he turned six. Bop drew his attention early on, culminating in a 1953 chance to observe Chet Baker with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet. The San Francisco Bay area hosted his regular performances throughout the 1950s, many of them intimate duets alongside bassist Ron Crotty. From 1962 through 1984 he maintained a total absence from music. His thorough return in the mid-1980s brought occasional guest appearances by his idol Baker with the group. Baskett’s first public singing took place in 1993 at an international jazz festival in the Ukraine, again in the company of Crotty. A 1995 trio session titled Chalice, recorded with guitarist Randy Vincent and bassist Chris Amberger, appeared on his own Tehc label. A Records subsequently purchased and reissued the date, and Baskett has since completed a second project for that imprint, the quintet album Poor Boy Blue.
Albums
