Born to Be Blue Soundtrack (2015)
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Born to Be Blue
Born to Be Blue
Born to Be Blue
Synopsis
Born to Be Blue is a largely fictionalized account of jazz trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker in the late 1960s. He was one of the pioneers of what is coined west coast swing, played primarily by Caucasians, as opposed to the more recognized jazz sound of New York bebop and hard bop played primarily by black trumpeters, most notably Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie.
A heroin addict, which led to his professional decline, Baker was incarcerated in an Italian jail for possession. He was released on parole when an American movie director hired him to star in a movie about his life during the peak of his career in the 1950s, with him portraying himself.
Although claiming to be clean at the time, he was proven not to be when his drug dealer and his associates severely beat him, largely focusing their attack on his mouth so that he could no longer play the trumpet. Indeed, Baker's embouchure was ruined in the attack, with his front teeth knocked out.
By this time, he was in a relationship with Jane Azuka, the actress who portrayed his first wife Elaine in the movie. Jane entered into the relationship cautiously, knowing Baker's reputation and not wanting to get involved with a "bad boy".
Not knowing anything else but music, Baker tried to work through the pain and the prosthetic teeth to relearn how to trumpet. It was never clear if he would ever achieve the ability to play to the standard to which he and his fans were accustomed.
Through the process, he had to get others he knew to believe in him to give him those professional opportunities, such as his old producer Dick Bock. This required him to stay clean and remain on a new drug treatment, namely methadone, while adhering to the conditions of his probation which required him to be working steadily, trumpet or not.
In seemingly needing constant support, Jane also had to decide how much she would be by his side through the good and bad, even if it meant at the expense of her own life and budding acting career.
