Temporary Hero recently dropped his album 'CHET', a tribute to Chet Baker. Hailing from Portland, Maine, Temporary Hero is singer/songwriter Jonah Bell, who did two previous tribute albums: Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. Temporary Hero's musical style is probably best described as electronic indie-pop and he has received much acclaim, hitting the Top 20 on Billboard with his song 'Wildly'.
For those who don't know, Chet Baker was a jazz trumpeter and vocalist from Oklahoma. Born in 1929, Baker achieved a modicum of international success for songs like 'My Funny Valentine'. In his heyday, Baker was the poster child for the "cool school" of West Coast jazz, a style of jazz music criticized vehemently by jazz traditionalists. Addicted to heroin for most of his adult life, Baker's lifestyle suffered various ups and downs, mostly downs.
Baker made a comeback of sorts when Elvis Costello asked him to perform a trumpet solo on 'Shipbuilding', thus exposing Baker to a new generation of listeners. Baker rode his small comeback wave for a few years, recording and performing. Sadly, he died at the age of 58.
On 'CHET', Temporary Hero has taken Baker's best known songs and "re-interpreted" them, although frankly it's less of a re-interpretation and more of a desultory recreation. Temporary Hero adds some electronica to the songs, but that's about all. Still, Jonah Bell does a remarkable job of recreating Baker's vocal style and phrasing. Nevertheless, Baker's originals are difficult to surpass because Baker's voice was more suited to his style of jazz.
'CHET' consists of nine tracks, the best of which is 'I Get Along Without You Very Well'; probably because it's the most upbeat song on the album, along with the fact that it resembles the original tune.
read more: http://news360.com/digestarticle/Zur8VInVbUqgT-_I1o5qbw
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