Dark trumpet tale of Chet Baker to be told on stage

Dubbed the James Dean of Jazz, Chet Baker had a remarkable life.

His haunting and unforgettable music made him famous and his captivating story made him infamous.

The tale of his life, Chet Baker: Like Someone in Love, will mix jazz and theatre when it is presented at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre next week.

Writer and performer David Goldthorpe plays Baker — a man known for his pensive trumpet playing and his bad boy attitude — and is accompanied by a three-piece band featuring James Illingworth on keys, Mostyn Cole on bass and Richard Wise on drums.

Baker’s well-publicised addiction to heroin damaged his career and was a central theme of his life.

Goldthorpe said it was important his portrayal of the darker side of the trumpeter’s life was genuine.

“Each time I perform the show in a new city, I visit the local needle exchange to get some new props and meet some of the locals who always have an interesting tale or two,” he said.

“There is the story of the famous audition with Charlie Parker, talk of Chet’s rise to fame and his first love but I also explore the darker side that was present throughout his career.”