Graeme Thomson

In Chet Baker’s albums you can hear America’s romantic self-image curdling

Doomed idealism and sublimated thuggery envelops even Baker’s most beautiful music

Beauty and the beast: Chet Baker in 1961 in Lucca. Credit: Archivio Cameraphoto Epoche / Getty Images

Already a subscriber? Log in

This article is for subscribers only

Get a free bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label when you subscribe to The Spectator for just £12 in our Black Friday sale

  • Free bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky, worth £30
  • Unlimited access to our website and app
  • Enjoy Spectator newsletters and podcasts
  • Explore our online archive, going back to 1828

Comments

Black Friday sale: Get 10 weeks for just $1

Unlimited access to the The Spectator, online and via the app

Already a subscriber? Log in