The Stories about Music Films: 53. Born to Be Blue (2015)

 

 

Basic Info

Title: Born to Be Blue

Genre: Biography, Drama, Music

Country: Canada, United Kingdom

Language: English

Running time: 97 minutes

Release date: 13 September 2015 (TIFF), 11 March 2016 (Canada)

Staff

Director: Robert Budreau

Producer: Jennifer Jonas, Robert Budreau, Leonard Farlinger, Jake Seal

Screenplay by: Robert Budreau

Music: David Braid, Todor Kobakov, Steve London

Cinematography: Steve Cosens

Edited by: David Freeman

Cast

Ethan Hawke as Chet Baker

Carmen Ejogo as Jane/Elaine

Summary

"Born to Be Blue" is a 2015 drama film directed, produced and written by Robert Budreau. Starring Ethan Hawke and Carmen Ejogo, the film premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. The film tells the story of American jazz musician Chet Baker, portrayed by Hawke.

Chet Baker

Chet Baker was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist, born on December 23, 1929 and died on May 13, 1988, nicknamed the "Prince of Cool" in the cool jazz scene. Baker's 1950s albums, particularly "Chet Baker Sings (1954)" and "It Could Happen to You (1958)," received much attention and critical acclaim.

Album "It Could Happen to You", Chet
Baker

Jazz historian Dave Gelly described Baker in his early career as "James Dean, Frank Sinatra and Bix Beiderbecke, rolled into one." However, along with fame and notoriety for drugs, he was found dead with serious head injury on the street below his room in Hotel Prins Hendrik in Amsterdam on May 13, 1988.

Chet Baker plaque at the Hotel Prins
Hendrik

Movie Review

“Even Miles Davis would applaud for this movie”

“A touching story”

“Ethan Hawke shines in this film about Chet Baker”

“A good movie”

“Excellent”

“Beautifully Acted”

“Terrific Performances”

“Classy and atmospheric”

“Beautiful movie”

Interesting stories about the film

1. According to Ethan Hawke, he wanted to play Chet Baker going back 15 to 20 years before.

Ethan Hawke

2. Stephen McHattie, who played Chet Baker's father in this film, also starred as Chet Baker in Robert Budreau's short film "The Deaths of Chet Baker (2009).”

Stephen McHattie

3. Ethan Hawke wore prosthetic teeth to get the teeth gap in the first scene of the film.

4. This is not the first film Robert Budreau wrote and directed about Chet Baker, and he also made a short film called "The Deaths of Chet Baker (2009)."

The Deaths of Chet Baker (2009)

5. Both Ethan Hawke and Carmen Ejogo have appeared in a Purge movie. Hawke appeared in "The Purge (2013)" and Ejogo appeared in "The Purge: Anarchy (2014)."

The Purge (2013)

The Purge: Anarchy (2014)

Thank you.

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52. The history of Jazz: 8. Cool Jazz, ACJ Music Academy

How are you?

Following the last week, I am going to start my 52nd lecture.

I had conducted music lectures at Art Collage JANG in Seoul, South Korea every Saturday from March 2015 to December 2017.

I am going to introduce the lecture by the lecture’s order every Saturday.

The 8th theme of “The history of Jazz” I will introduce this week is “Cool Jazz”. It is a summary of the contents of “52nd ACJ Music Academy, The history of Jazz: 8. Cool Jazz”, which was introduced on June 18, 2016.

“Cool Jazz” is a genre of modern jazz music that originated in the United States after World War II. It is characterized by its comfortable tempo and light tone. Cool Jazz, contrasted with the tense and complex Bebop style, often uses formal arrangements and elements of classical music. In addition, it is a jazz style that gives more comfort and a sense of stability than other jazz genres that existed at the same time. 

The term “Cool” began to be used for the music in this atmosphere after the release of Capitol Records' album <Classics in Jazz: Cool and Quiet> in 1953. 

Mark C. Gridley of ‘All Music Guide to Jazz’ identified music categories belonging to Cool Jazz, among which are included the music in the album of <Birth of the Cool> by ‘Miles Davis’, the works of the ‘Modern Jazz Quartet’, the music of Gerry Mulligan, especially with Chet Baker and Bob Brookmeyer, and the works of George Shearing and Stan Getz.

Birth of the Cool, Miles Davis (1957)

Miles Davis

American jazz critic Ted Gioia has identified Cornet player ‘Bix Beiderbecke’ as early progenitors of the Cool Jazz. Beiderbecke alleviated strong rhythmic impact of jazz by employing complex techniques such as unusual harmonies and whole tone scales in favor of maintaining melodic flow.

Bix Beiderbecke

Cool Jazz is often used synonymously with “West Coast Jazz”. For the background, Gerry Mulligan and his colleagues in California often referred "West Coast Jazz" despite the fact that Lester Young, Claude Thornhill, and Miles Davis were based in New York at the time. With frequent use of the term, “West Coast Jazz” has gradually become synonymous with “Cool Jazz”.

Chet Baker

Cool jazz has influenced various music genres such as bossa nova, modal jazz, and even free jazz. 

Some critics argue that Hard Bop was developed, which will be introduced in next week, with the remarkable popularity decline of Bebop and to the response of Cool Jazz which was very popular at the time.

Stan Getz

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Next week, I will introduce you “Hard Bop” as the 9th theme of “The history of Jazz” lectures.

Thank you.