Brian Slattery Photo
George Baker playing at Cafe Nine in 2015.
Guitar legend George Baker passed away on Dec. 6 from liver cancer, after a long life filled with blues, jazz, and soul that took him all over the country and made him a New Haven treasure. He was 81 years old. He will be dearly missed and never forgotten.
Baker grew up in New Roads, Louisiana, outside of Baton Rouge, and learned to play the blues there. He also learned to read music and to play jazz. This combination proved to be the foundation for a lifelong career in music.
He moved to New York City in 1961 and, because he was a fiery player who could play blues, R&B, and jazz authentically and also read charts, worked his way into the house band of the Apollo Theater. That meant he played with just about everyone who passed through those famous doors in that era.
At the Apollo, his playing and abilities as a bandleader caught the ear of Marvin Gaye. Gaye asked Baker to join his touring band and Baker said yes. The timing was auspicious; shortly after that, “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” became a smash, and Baker hit the road with Gaye as his musical director for a few years in the late 1960s. In an interview in 2006, Baker mused that people always imagined that life in Marvin Gaye’s touring band was a nonstop party, but the truth was that after the shows, the band just went back to the hotel and played cards.
Baker made his living as a professional musician all his life, up and down the East Coast. He moved to New Haven in the mid-1980s to be closer to his daughter and granddaughter, who at the time was a child. The move was, as it turned out, a musical gift to the Elm City. He became a staple of New Haven’s music scene, playing in numerous music groups from Boogie Chillun to the Cobalt Rhythm Kings to his own George Baker Experience. He also anchored Cafe Nine’s long-running blues and jazz jams. For over three decades, he was a delight to audiences and a mentor to musicians across the city and beyond.
In 2006 he released his first solo record, Mojo Lady, which gave him a little time in the national spotlight, as he appeared on BET in support of the project. By then, his legendary status in New Haven was already secure.
Baker was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2012, an illness that was never reflected in his unflagging gig schedule. In 2015 he assembled a band of New Haven’s finest blues and R&B musicians — Willie Moore on bass, Derrick Tappan on drums, Tony Dioguardi on guitar, Lou Ianello on saxophone, and Nick Lloyd on keyboards — to record a live album at Cafe Nine. Called A Night to Remember, the album was true to its name. That night showed Baker playing and singing at the height of his powers, whether he was grinding it out on the smoking “I’m A Man,” setting the room on fire with “St. James Infirmary,” or easing into “The Thrill Is Gone.” He and his band blew the room away — and the resulting album bottled that lightning.
This year Baker was as busy as ever. He took part in a jazz series that found him swinging in the public library on Elm Street in April. In May, as part of a trio called the Drawbar, he delivered a smoking set that showed everyone else how it’s done, with grace, humor, and grit. He played at Christopher Martins on Nov. 2 and Harvest Wine Bar on Nov. 7.
Baker was scheduled to head up Cafe Nine’s jazz jam on the afternoon of Nov. 23, but entered hospice that morning instead. As news spread online, condolences and gratitude poured in from New Haven’s music community.
“He not only set an example of class and professionalism,” wrote blues musician Greg Sherrod, speaking for many. “He put me through a crucible of fire as a musician. He poked me, prodded me and challenged me. He also gave me opportunity and praise when I worked hard for it.“
Baker “always knew I could do it,” Sherrod contiuned. “Although I drove him crazy with my over-the-top antics, George showed me kindness and mentorship; a debt I can never repay…. Slip easy into that good night, George. Thank you for everything.”
Meanwhile, Baker received a steady stream of visitors and — as longtime friend and musical compatriot Mark Zaretsky reported — the music continued in his hospital room. As he played and spoke with friends and relatives, he reflected back on his long life in music. Zaretsky asked him what he had to be thankful for.
“What am I not thankful for?” Baker said.
