Double Elvis.

Disgraceland is a production of Double Elvis.

Heads up, guys. In this episode, there's a lot of talk of the mid-century concept of

cool, as well as about heroin. It should go without saying that there is nothing in this

episode that is an endorsement of that drug, or any drug for that matter.

But you're smart enough to know that already.

All right, let's get into it.

The stories about jazz musician Chet Baker are truly insane.

He was a natural, gifted musician with a mile-long rap sheet.

He was worshipped by beautiful movie stars and both loved and loathed by serious jazz contemporaries.

He was heavily addicted to heroin and made heavily addictive music.

Chet Baker, with his overtly romantic style of playing and singing, coupled with his matinee idol,

good looks, was called the James Dean of Jazz.

He was also called many other things, gifted, junkie, angel, scammer, cool, stupid, charming, abusive, beautiful, and a rat.

He was indeed all of these things, and he did, of course, make great music.

That music I played for you at the top of the show, that wasn't great music.

That was a preset loop from my Melotron called

Second Story Swing, MK1. I played you that loop because I can't afford the rights to

Wishing Well by Terrence Trent Darby. And why would I play you that specific slice of hardline

cheese could I afford it? Because that was the number one

song in America on May 13, 1988. And that was the day Chet Baker lost his life, creating one of the

most enduring mysteries in music, the cause of his death. On this episode,

...