Larry Baskett

Larry Baskett always makes it clear in his playing and sincere vocalizing that his main influence and inspiration is <a href="spotify:artist:3rxeQlsv0Sc2nyYaZ5W71T">Chet Baker</a>. Born in Colorado, Baskett moved with his family to Kansas when he was two, and they settled in northern California when he was six. He was attracted to bop as a youth and in 1953 had the opportunity to see <a href="spotify:artist:3rxeQlsv0Sc2nyYaZ5W71T">Chet Baker</a> play with the <a href="spotify:artist:6l40OFJhuTbHQ9V12evc9K">Gerry Mulligan</a> Quartet. During the '50s, Baskett gigged in the San Francisco Bay area, often playing duets with bassist <a href="spotify:artist:6sxutRjb8HCkBgiAO802L8">Ron Crotty</a>. He dropped out of music entirely during the 1962-84 period. Making a complete comeback in the mid-'80s, Baskett let his idol <a href="spotify:artist:46CH1Gp8l8QVly8bpG9JFG">Baker</a> sit in with his group a few times. In 1993, while playing at an international jazz festival in the Ukraine with <a href="spotify:artist:5hSINpoARtNjcBea8poleS">Crotty</a>, Baskett sang in public for the first time. He recorded a trio set (Chalice) in 1995 with guitarist Randy Vincent and bassist Chris Amberger for his own Tehc label. That date was later sold to and reissued by A Records; Baskett has since cut a second set for the A label, a quintet outing entitled Poor Boy Blue. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi