Israel Baker


Israel Baker was an American violinist and concertmaster. Through a long and varied career, he played with many of the greatest figures in the worlds of classical music, jazz and pop.
He appeared on hundreds of recordings by artists as diverse as Igor Stravinsky, Ella Fitzgerald, and Tom Waits, and appeared on many film scores including Psycho and Jonathan Livingstone Seagull. Baker was the concertmaster on The Dameans Beginning Today album from 1973.

Biography

Born in Chicago, he was the youngest of four children of Russian immigrants. He showed great talent as a violinist from an early age, appearing on national radio at the age of six. By the age of 22 Baker was concertmaster of Leopold Stokowski’s All-American Youth Orchestra. Later, he was a member of Arturo Toscanini’s NBC Symphony Orchestra. During World War II, he served as a violinist with the Army Air Forces in Atlantic City, NJ, playing requests to entertain wounded comrades.
After the war, Baker increasingly gravitated towards the West Coast and session work, including work with the famed "Wrecking Crew", although he continued to be a presence in concert halls across the United States. He formed a duo with pianist Yaltah Menuhin; they made their New York debut in 1951. In 1961, he played alongside violinist Jascha Heifetz and cellist Gregor Piatigorsky in a series of chamber concerts, and in 1964, he recorded Arnold Schoenberg's "Fantasy for Violin & Piano" with Glenn Gould. He recorded many of Stravinsky's scores for CBS with Stravinsky himself conducting. He then went on to lead the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Away from the concert hall, he led the West Coast version of the CBS Symphony.
He died at his home in Studio City, California on December 25, 2011, following a stroke.

Personal life

Baker was married twice: to Caroline, who died in 1974, and then to Imelda Corrigan from Dublin Ireland. They were married for over 30 years until his death. He had three children from his first marriage.
He is the grandfather to Vulfpeck bass player, Joe Dart.

Discography

With The 5th DimensionLiving Together, Growing Together
With Air SupplyThe Christmas Album
With Chet AtkinsChet Atkins in Hollywood
With Tony BennettLong Ago and Far Away
With The Beach BoysSummer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
With June ChristyThis Time of Year
With Rosemary ClooneyLove
With Nat King ColeLove Is the Thing To Whom It May Concern Wild Is Love The Magic Of Christmas The Touch of Your Lips Nat King Cole Sings/George Shearing Plays Where Did Everyone Go? Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer I Don't Want to Be Hurt Anymore Let's Face the Music!
With Natalie ColeUnforgettable... with Love
With Sam CookeMr. Soul Ain't That Good News
With Bobby DarinLove Swings Bobby Darin Sings The Shadow of Your Smile
With Neil DiamondTap Root Manuscript Jonathan Livingston Seagull Serenade
With Lamont DozierOut Here on My Own
With Don Ellis Haiku
With The EmotionsRejoice
With Ella FitzgeraldElla Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Song Book
With Judy GarlandThe Letter
With Quincy JonesSounds...and Stuff Like That!!
With Stan KentonLush Interlude The Kenton Touch
With Peggy LeeMake It with You
With Dean MartinA Winter Romance Dino: Italian Love Songs
With Johnny Mathis and Deniece WilliamsThat's What Friends Are For
With Michael NesmithThe Wichita Train Whistle Sings
With Harry NilssonHarry ...That's the Way It Is
With Van Dyke ParksDiscover America Tokyo Rose
With Lalo Schifrin
With Bola SeteGoin' to Rio
With Bud ShankWindmills of Your Mind
With Frank SinatraFrank Sinatra Conducts Tone Poems of Color Sings for Only the Lonely Sinatra Swings Point of No Return All Alone Sinatra and Strings The Concert Sinatra Sinatra's Sinatra Sinatra Sings Days of Wine and Roses, Moon River, and Other Academy Award Winners It Might as Well Be Swing 12 Songs of Christmas Softly, as I Leave You My Kind of Broadway September of My Years Sinatra '65: The Singer Today Moonlight Sinatra Strangers in the Night That's Life Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim The World We Knew Cycles My Way A Man Alone Sinatra & Company Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back Some Nice Things I've Missed Trilogy: Past Present Future
With Mel TorméBroadway, Right Now! Mel Tormé Sings Sunday in New York & Other Songs About New York
With Tom WaitsSmall Change
With Mason Williams