Mickey Baker Gone home

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 27 Nov 2012 11:17 am

I am sad to advise that Mickey Baker, famed guitar player, passed away this morning in Paris France from a lengthy illness. Mickey was my brother in law for many years but always stayed close with all of us even after he and my sister went different ways many years ago.. They also maintained a special relationship thru all the years. Mickey was 87.

Mickey was best known for his duet with Sylvia Vanderpool, Mickey and Sylvia with the hit song" Love is Strange". Mickey also wrote many jazz guitar books which today are still considered some of the best available. Mickey was also the session guitar player of record on many records that came out in the 1950's through the early 60's...

Mickey lived in France for the past several decades and I am not aware of service arrangements at this time.

RIP Mickey

t

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 27 Nov 2012 11:50 am

Sorry to hear this. Mickey has been one of my favorite guitar players over a period of decades, not to mention the indelible influence of his jazz guitar books.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 27 Nov 2012 12:15 pm

Sad news! A highly respected player indeed.

One of his improvisation tutor books used to be known colloquially as 'The Mickey Baker Book of Escape Routes'! He was another jazz player who made money out of the rock and roll boom in the fities - he didn't turn his back on the music as so many did but, rather, embraced it.

RIP.

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 27 Nov 2012 12:16 pm

Sad to know that Mickey has left us
from what i read here, Tony, he passed away at his home in Toulouse
http://www.lexpress.fr/culture/musique/ ... 92423.html
i started out on guitbox w: one of his books - a good one at that !
got to meet him quite a few times
in Paris at first when he played w: Memphis Slim
Later on when he moved down South in Toulouse, he used to come round these parts ( Pyrenees ) & blow w: us Blues kats

RIP Mickey

JERRY THURMOND · Post by **JERRY THURMOND** » 27 Nov 2012 5:03 pm

So sad to hear Mickey has passed away, the great guitar player Bobby Caldwell told me about Mickey an his many guitar books he had written back in the 60's. Man he was quite a guitar player an teacher he will be missed.

Jerry

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 27 Nov 2012 5:42 pm

Sorry to hear about this.. One of the first lead parts I ever tried to work out was "Love Is Strange". The intro and fills were very tasty. I'm sorry I never got to hear much of Mickey's jazz work...RIP........JH in Va.

Bob Watson · Post by **Bob Watson** » 27 Nov 2012 9:25 pm

Sad news. His Jazz books are great and are still considered to be "must have" Jazz guitar instruction books to this day. I work in a music store and we always try to keep "The Mickey Baker Book" in stock. I recommend it to any guitar players that come in looking for a Jazz instruction book. Tony, I'm sorry for your loss. May he RIP.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 28 Nov 2012 2:38 am

CrowBear Schmitt wrote:Sad to know that Mickey has left us
from what i read here, Tony, he passed away at his home in Toulouse
http://www.lexpress.fr/culture/musique/ ... 92423.html

RIP Mickey

Crowbear, thats probably the case, my sister called me and mentioned Paris, we do know he was in the hospital and was sent home near the end.We knew last week that he was close to going home...Thanks for the link.

t

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 28 Nov 2012 4:46 am

Jim Herrington's piece on Mickey for The Fretboard Journal:

http://jimherrington.tumblr.com/post/16 ... ance-c-jim

robert kramer · Post by **robert kramer** » 30 Nov 2012 5:02 am

New York Times obituary for Mickey Baker:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/30/arts/ ... ?ref=music

On Thursday, December 6 @ 8 PM – 10PM CST a radio show in Nashville “Nashville Jumps” will stream two hours of Mickey Baker's music. It show will also be archived and I will post the link when it is available:

http://www.radiofreenashville.org/schedule

"Nashville Jumps" plays Jump Blues from the '40's to the '60's - so you hear Mickey Baker at least a couple times each broadcast.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 30 Nov 2012 8:16 am

Thanks for posting the article above Robert...it's excellent..

side note here with regard to the NY Times article.

Bruce Weber from the NY Times contacted me on Wed afternoon, I put him in touch with my sister who also put him in touch with Mickey's wife. Mr Weber found me thru the TDPRI..small world !

nice article, he wanted an accurate account, and he got it !

t

Edward Efira · Post by **Edward Efira** » 1 Dec 2012 9:37 am

Sorry to hear that, I used to go see him play jazz and blues with Memphis Slim at the 3 Mailletz, in the heart of Paris Latin Quarter when I was a kid, R.I.P.

Michael Breid · Post by **Michael Breid** » 5 Dec 2012 11:18 am

I would have never appreciated jazz guitar if it wasn't for people like Mickey Baker, Herb Ellis, and Joe Pass. There are many more, but those three held my interest. I guess the only one of the old guard still alive is Mundell Lowe if he hasn't passed away. RIP and thank you for all the great music.