I bought the Mickey Baker book in 1966 when I was 13. I gobbled that thing up! From there I went on to other players and composers. After that I mostly learned from records. I hear what folks are saying about the sax solo. But, Coleman Hawkins was playing the blues in the 1920s. He also made the first commercial bebop record. Nearly all of the great sax players to come down were disciples of Coleman or Lester Young. He didn't have to make things down and dirtier or simpler or grittier. He was already the real thing. The guys on jump blues or rock 'n roll records may have initially gotten inspired by Illinois Jacquet, but Illinois was informed by Hawkins.
Unfortunately many great American musicians are neglected and treated poorly at home. Let's hope that Mr Baker found contentment in France. He sure made some great music there. R. I. P.
Studying would be oversaying I took two lessons with him in Paris and he explain me the basics of the Blues, I didn't know how to take a solo but afterwards it was OK and I'm still using all the tricks that he demonstrated to me. He was a real nice human being and sharing his experience with the blues was just fantastic even for only two hours
I bought Mickey's black and yellow Jazz Guitar book in the mid sixties. I still play his progressions today. (I still haven't made it all the way through the book.)
He was largely underrated, some of his recordings are really wonderful. I had teh chance to take few guitar lessons with him and he was a delicious person and great Blues player as well
you studied with Mickey Baker for real? I`ve been playing guitar for 40 years..his jazz guitar book is the 1st book on jazz music that ever made sense to me..he was great...you are so lucky to have known him
C.Hawkins was the FIRST Saxplayer of Jazz who did not use the instrument as some kind of side or second instrument (same with Jimmy Smith & the Hammond organ).He played the way he played and did not copy anyone.Before him mostly clarinetists played sometimes a little Sax to add a some extra color to the bandsound.He was light years away from being a snobby little "jazz guy trying to play blues".He was almost 60 years of age when this was filmed and sounded more up to date than players 1/2his age
great Mickey Baker real pioneer of jazz rock blues fusion guitar in the first '50-pianist George Arvanitas, bassist Jimmy Woode and drummer Kansas Fields.Early of June Brussels 1962
THANK YOU for posting this great footage!! Regarding the earlier negative post...Hello?? Pretty sure Sam the Man AND Mr. Allen would approve of Coleman Hawkins. You seriously need to open your mind and your ears SuperDallman. Some of the greatest tenor "blues" solos came out of "jazz" guys. Many of them had a foot in both camps...since the reach is not very far when done well. Wow, you couldn't be more off base on that comment. He never stepped away from that groove for a second!
Thanks so much for posting this! I decided this coming year to actually work up to lesson 20 (at least) of his Book 1 instead of just messing around with the first few pages. It is the best book for actually getting you to play short progressions to practice the chords. Love this session and we are lucky to have it available to see the cats in action!
The head of this tune is almost a note for note copy of "How Many More Years" by Howlin' Wolf. The original was definitely not "uptown blues", but Jump Blues. This is a great rendition using Jazz/Blues conventions. I am a big fan of both Mickey Baker and Coleman Hawkins.
I have volume one and volume two of Mickey Baker's Jazz Guitar course. Purchased sometime in the early eighties. It's where I learned and understood the "jazz" chords and progressions. The second book is red and yellow. LOL Ken, Toronto
I will side with the comment below on Bean. All love and respect for Mr Hawkins, but he did purvey the "jazz guy trying to play some blues" syndrome, at least in his opening choruses. He did eventually open things up! No slight or disrespect intended, just a statementment of my own tastes. Thanks for your timeless book and all the great music, McHouston Baker!!
You are right - but he was a top studio musician in N.Y. for years so it is no real surprise. They even made a short announcement on german radio (that is were I heard it first) but they did this with some fairly obscure Hollywood actors from the past,too. Compared to some lesser known/important and less-talented Blues/Soul/R&B his death went relatively unnoticed (I don't say any names here but there a some of them).
Great clip -- thanks for putting it up. I'm working my way through Mickey's first book, and am almost finished with the chord section. As I get ready to tackle the soloing exercises, I came here looking for an example of his picking style. Although I would have predicted Mickey to be an alternate picker, I was surprised to see he used downstrokes all the way, similar to Charlie Christian.
the mickey books! 1&2, just received them,, I've been complaining for years how tuff it is to play jazz, I'm gonna stick to these books til I get it straight! I hand no idea the magnitude of this guy's playing I'm joining the (Mickey club) for life,, god rest his soul!
i saw hm live in 1972 in a real dive in NYC...let me tell you he was playing the shit out of the guitar..my jaw just dropped literally...after the second set i walked over to him at end of the bar..bought him a couple of rum and cokes..listen, he was soooo cool..nice dude..talked up a storm.( and drunk)..but really,really knowledgeable about different players and styles..a cat with class ..God bless him.
I can only describe this tune as a hot mess! Not really blues or jazz but a fusion describes it best. I’ve started Mickeys book #1 so I wanted to hear some of his stuff. All those cats have mad skills!
I have to admid Mickey Baker played in a different league than for example Earl Carroll. I would rate him in importance with Donald Duck Dunn who got all the attention he deserved when he died not long ago (but he was still an activ [and younger] musician until short before his death).You'll find nothing about his activities since the late 70's(since that time I know his music).A friend attended a gig with Baker&J.Dupree starting at 9.00pm &ending at 7.00p.m in (former) West-Berlin(late 70's)
This is how uptown blues should be played. I'm so sick of the dull minor pentatonc scale played by the kids all the time. This is more sophisticated. EXCELLENT solo taken by "The Man" Coleman Hawkins. Ken, Toronto
@ PHJimy: Please see my comment re. Mickey Bakers's Jazz Guitar books one, and two mistakenly addressed to sisaxle as below. The comment was meant for you. Sorry, for the confusion, sixaxle. I see your a fan, also.
Okay - I am the mind reading guy who showed no respect for the passing of Mickey Baker who was still alive when this video was uploaded. Good idea to drop the discussion before it gets even more odd :-)
I did notice on replaying that it was Coleman Hawkins whom I was berating,but I still stand by what I said about Jazzmen in a R&B context.Only Ben Webster and Johnny Griffin on his early Atlantic sides with Joe Morris Orch seem to understand the R&B context and perhaps Hal Singer has a foot in both camps.For the most part they look down on R&B tenormen as mere honkers,but when it comes to the blues,I'll take the honkers.Sorry for confusing the two.
Just listen to the Jimmy Witherspoon live recording from 1959 from Newport with Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster but proably you would say the same thing about it.I think Hawkins did not sound neither "odd" nor "trying" but he played different from Abe Locke(Elmore James Sax) or Big Jay McNeely.I can imagine what you mean:I heard recordings of Lightning Hopkins with a jazz Rhythm section (dr/bass) and that sounded odd but from your point of view even Satchmo would sound odd :-)
It's going great till Cannonball Adderley steps in and ruins it,why is it that these jazz guys can't play the blues? And don't tell me that this tootlin' is bluesy it isn't.Wish Mickey was with one of his New York friends Sam "the man" Taylor or perhaps New Orleans's Lee Allen whose horn positively drips the blues. Still a great upload though. Thanks
Ha... made back when smoking was "cool"... Now it just looks idiotic. It's almost a certainty that bass player is dead now (from his nasty habit). Baker was, however, certainly a pioneer in "Jazz and hot guitar" (as written on his "Book 1").
