Born to Be Blue Page #6

- This is a waste

of time, man.

[indistinct chatter]

- Okay, quiet again,

everyone, please.

This will be take two.

[band plays slow jazz music]

[trumpet joins]

II:

I My funny valentine I

II:

I Sweet comic valentine I

II:

I You make me smile I

I With my heart I

II:

I Your looks are laughable I

II:

I Unphotographable I

II:

I Yet you're my I

I Favorite work of art I

II:

I ls your figure I

I Less than Greek'? I

I ls your mouth I

I A little weak? I

I When you open it to speak I

I Are you smart'? I

II:

I But do! change a 'nah I

I For me

II:

I Not W you care for me I

II:

I Stay, little Valentine I

I Stay I

II:

I Each day is I

I Valentine's I

Day

II:

[music stops]

[applause]

- Bob, Leonard...

- Leonard.

- And Bill.

- Bill.

- Well, Bob, thanks

for saying that.

I really, really

appreciate that, you know'?

What?

- Dizzy and Danny

are over there.

- Oh, sh*t. So I see.

Excuse me for a second,

will you?

- Hi, Mr. Baker.

- Hey, please don't harass me

right now.

Dizzy Gillespie's

right over there.

- Dizzy Gillespie?

Get out of here. That is him.

Listen,

Jane told me the good news.

I just wanted to say

congratulations.

- Well, thanks, thanks.

When's the big day?

- As soon as possible.

- Okay, I see you want to go.

- Okay, all right.

Well, thanks-thanks

for coming, all right?

- Hey, man. Excellent show.

Excellent show.

Beautiful, beautiful stuff.

- Thank you.

- Listen.

You're not

going clean, are you?

'Cause I'm having

a little party...

[indistinct conversation]

- Okay.

- Please, can we do it?

- Yeah, yeah.

Jane.

- Oh, baby!

You were so good.

- Chettie.

- Oh, hey, Danny.

- Look who's here, my friend.

- Oh, wow. Hey, Dizzy.

- It's been a long time,

Chettie.

- Yeah, it sure has. Wow.

- Danny boy said

I ought to come by.

- Well, thanks for coming.

What did you think?

- Well, you really

pared it down, man.

A little bit under the center.

- Yeah. Always been like that.

- It's almost flat.

Somehow, it's still nice.

- Why, thanks.

- But you know, hey,

you really shouldn't sing.

You know that, right?

- Yeah.

Danny was saying

he's thinking about Birdland.

- Look, Chet, you've come

a long way, but, uh-

- But what?

- Well, they only do

special events now.

- Dizzy, come on.

You've still got pull there.

Everybody respects you.

You got the-the key

to the gate, you know?

- You ain't ready

for Birdland, man.

- I'm ready.

Miles said come back once

you've lived a little, you know.

[both laugh]

- Miles, yeah, that sounds

like something

he would have said

back in the day.

- I lived a little.

- Look, you've done

your me, Chews.

Makes for some ragged phrases,

but your playing is-

- Honest. It's honest.

- You got a sound

that's all your own.

Ain't no denying that.

- And I'm ready

to play Birdland.

- It's not your playing

that I'm worried about.

All things be ready

if your mind be so.

Are you sure

you're ready to come back?

- I've learned three different

embouchures, all right?

I got a left, I got a center,

and I got a right,

and if you let me sing, okay,

I can play two full sets

before my teeth fall out, okay?

- Eyes on the prize.

God, you are a glutton beggar.

I'll get you Birdland.

But don't say I didn't warn you.

- That's amazing!

New York City!

- We fly out tomorrow.

- Yeah, but I've got

my callback, right?

You know that.

- Yeah, well, you're

gonna miss that.

This is a big deal, baby.

- Well, no, it's a big deal

for me too.

- I know, I know, but I can't

play Birdland without you.

- Yeah, you can.

- No, no, come on.

It'll be so much fun.

- You can do it.

- Come on.

We'll get a fancy hotel.

It'll be fun.

We can f***,

a little drinking,

a little dancing,

a little nightlife.

- That sounds all great,

but you know

l got to get this job;

This is important to me.

And besides, I think it'll be

really good for you too.

You know, to go alone.

- That wouldn't be good

for me at all.

I don't want to go alone.

- But I'm always there

for you, Chet.

I got to do this for me,

right?

- What, I got to

spell it out for you?

- You know, you've got to have

more faith in yourself, Chet.

Your best music

was when you were clean,

before all the drugs.

- Yeah, not with the methadone.

Man, that sh*t's worse

than a condom.

- Oh, my God,

you're such a joker.

- Come on. Dick says

if this show goes well,

I'll be able to take care

of everything.

I mean, f*** that audition.

We could be on tour

in Europe, you know?

- F*** that audition?

- Well, you know, what I mean.

- No, I don't know

what you mean.

- Come on.

- What if it doesn't go well?

- Why would you say that, huh?

Come on; you're the one person

who believes in me.

Why would you say that?

- Do you believe in me?

- Yeah, I believe in you.

That's not the point.

- No, that's exactly

the point.

- Oh, please don't do this.

Please don't do this.

Please, please, please

come with me.

- It-it's just a few days.

I think you can go alone.

- Are you serious?

- I'm not some groupie, Chet.

- I'll go alone.

[glass shattering]

[soft instrumental music]

II:

' [blows]

[sighs]

II:

[indistinct chatter]

- Chet. Where were you, man?

- Well, I'm here now,

all right?

Oh, sh*t.

Miles is here too?

- Why, everybody's here.

I Lost, lost I

I Lost in each other's arms I

I Let's defrost I

I Let 'em send out alarms I

- You want that done

all the way up?

- Yeah, I like it tight.

I And though they'll think us

rather rude I

- You want that tight

or you want that-

- Yeah, tight.

Both:
I Crazy I

. HEY-

- [retching]

- Little bit nervous.

That's-that's good.

Here, rinse.

Rinse your mouth.

Miles and, uh,

Dizzy out there?

You have every reason to be.

- I'm not nervous.

I'm sick.

- Well, if you need an aspirin,

if you're getting a cold

or something like that-

- I'm not getting a cold.

Iran out of methadone,

you know.

- What did you say?

- Two days ago,

Iran out of methadone.

- You-you stopped

taking your medicine?

- Don't-

- You-Chet, come on!

You've got every cat

on the East Coast out there

waiting for you to play

the biggest gig

of your career,

and then you-

- I don't want

a career, Dick.

I told you that.

If I wanted a career,

I'd get a f***ing job.

- Okay, okay.

- Okay? I wanna play.

All I want to do is play.

- Hey, hey, hey.

Where's Jane?

Where's Jane?

- She's in LA.

She has an audition.

okay, okay.

Look at me.

It's gonna be all right.

Jazz cats

from all over the world.

Someone out there

has some methadone.

- You think?

- Yeah, just relax.

You good?

- Yeah.

- I Let's get lost I

- Sit down.

- Don't make me be all nervous.

You'll be fine.

You look good.

- Thanks, Dick.

[indistinct chatter]

- Dick, where the f*** is Chet?

- He, uh...

We need a little

more time, okay?

- Dick? Where the f***-

F*** me.

All right, let's go.

Let's go. Let's go.

[applause]

[door opens]

- Chettie, I found

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