Jazz "the Bobby Shew Quartet Featuring John Proulx Play Chet Baker" at Harwood Museum

The Harwood Museum of Art proudly presents “The Bobby Shew Quartet Featuring John Proulx Play Chet Baker” presented in collaboration with Victoria Rogers and Cal Haines.

Jazz has figured prominently in Ken Price’s work; a student of jazz great Chet Baker. Chet Baker became a huge star within a very short time when he entered the jazz scene in the early ‘50s. He caught everyone’s ears immediately because of the warmth of his sound and the beautiful, simplistic lyricism in his trumpet soloing as well as his untrained, almost effeminate soft and higher-pitched singing style. The world was still adjusting to the intensity of the recent bebop movement, which in most cases was much more complex melodically and harmonically, more energetic and more challenging for the listener to keep up with. Chet was a bit of a relief. He also played somewhat shyly and without the typically competitive agendas that were common among many of the bebop players. His legacy lives on in the world of jazz. World-renowned trumpet player Bobby Shew chose L.A.-based vocalist/pianist John Proulx to provide the vocal content in bringing the Baker sound to life for Shew’s return performance at the Harwood. Continuing his lifelong achievements as a performer with recent recognition on the scale of the “Bobby Shew Night” with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra in Prague, it is fortunate that Shew enjoys sharing his great talent in his native New Mexico. Proulx, whose CD “Baker’s Dozen” demonstrates the similarity of his style and vocal tone with Chet’s, is the perfect combination with Shew’s warm tone. Together with Seattle bassist Michael Glynn and Santa Fe drummer Cal Haines, the quartet delivers arrangements by Shew and Proulx of favorites from the Baker repertoire....

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The Harwood Museum of Art proudly presents “The Bobby Shew Quartet Featuring John Proulx Play Chet Baker” presented in collaboration with Victoria Rogers and Cal Haines.

Jazz has figured prominently in Ken Price’s work; a student of jazz great Chet Baker. Chet Baker became a huge star within a very short time when he entered the jazz scene in the early ‘50s. He caught everyone’s ears immediately because of the warmth of his sound and the beautiful, simplistic lyricism in his trumpet soloing as well as his untrained, almost effeminate soft and higher-pitched singing style. The world was still adjusting to the intensity of the recent bebop movement, which in most cases was much more complex melodically and harmonically, more energetic and more challenging for the listener to keep up with. Chet was a bit of a relief. He also played somewhat shyly and without the typically competitive agendas that were common among many of the bebop players. His legacy lives on in the world of jazz. World-renowned trumpet player Bobby Shew chose L.A.-based vocalist/pianist John Proulx to provide the vocal content in bringing the Baker sound to life for Shew’s return performance at the Harwood. Continuing his lifelong achievements as a performer with recent recognition on the scale of the “Bobby Shew Night” with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra in Prague, it is fortunate that Shew enjoys sharing his great talent in his native New Mexico. Proulx, whose CD “Baker’s Dozen” demonstrates the similarity of his style and vocal tone with Chet’s, is the perfect combination with Shew’s warm tone. Together with Seattle bassist Michael Glynn and Santa Fe drummer Cal Haines, the quartet delivers arrangements by Shew and Proulx of favorites from the Baker repertoire.

Tickets can be purchased at The Harwood Museum of Art, $25.00 for General Public and $20.00 for Members of the Museum.

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