Saturday 6 April 2019

Gerry Mulligan born 6 April 1927


Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger.

Born in New York, the most famous and probably greatest jazz baritonist of all time, Gerry Mulligan was a giant. A flexible soloist who was always ready to jam with anyone from Dixielanders to the most advanced boppers, Mulligan brought a somewhat revolutionary light sound to his potentially awkward and brutal horn and played with the speed and dexterity of an altoist.

Mulligan started on the piano before learning clarinet and the various saxophones. His initial reputation was as an arranger. In 1944 he wrote charts for Johnny Warrington's radio band and soon was making contributions to the books of Tommy Tucker and George Paxton. He moved to New 
York in 1946 and joined Gene Krupa's Orchestra as a staff arranger; his most notable chart was "Disc Jockey Jump." The rare times he played with Krupa's band was on alto and the same situation existed when he was with Claude Thornhill in 1948.

Gerry Mulligan's first notable recorded work on baritone was with Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool nonet (1948-50) but once again his arrangements ("Godchild," "Darn That Dream" and three of his originals "Jeru," "Rocker" and "Venus de Milo") were more significant than his short solos. Mulligan spent much of 1949 writing for Elliot Lawrence's orchestra and playing anonymously in the saxophone section. It was not until 1951 that he began to get a bit of attention
for his work on baritone.

Mulligan recorded with his own nonet for Prestige, displaying an already recognizable sound. After he travelled to Los Angeles, he wrote some arrangements for Stan Kenton (including "Youngblood," "Swing House" and "Walking Shoes"), worked at the Lighthouse and then gained a regular Monday night engagement at the Haig. Around this time Mulligan realized that he enjoyed the extra freedom of soloing without a pianist. He jammed with trumpeter Chet Baker and soon their magical rapport was featured in his piano-less quartet. The group caught on quickly in 1952 and made both Mulligan and Baker into stars.


                           

A drug bust put Mulligan out of action and ended that quartet but, when he was released from jail in 1954, Mulligan began a new musical partnership with valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer that was just as successful. Trumpeter Jon Eardley and Zoot Sims on tenor occasionally made the group a sextet and in 1958 trumpeter 
Art Farmer was featured in Mulligan's Quartet. Being a very flexible player with respect for other stylists, Mulligan went out of his way to record with some of the great musicians he admired.

At the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival he traded off with baritonist Harry Carney on "Prima Bara Dubla" while backed by the Duke Ellington Orchestra, and during 1957-60 he recorded separate albums with Thelonious Monk, Paul Desmond, Stan Getz, Ben Webster and Johnny Hodges. Mulligan played on the classic Sound of Jazz television special in 1958 and appeared in the movies I Want to Live and The Subterraneans.

During 1960-64 Mulligan led his Concert Jazz Band which gave him an opportunity to write, play baritone and occasionally double on piano. The orchestra at times included Brookmeyer, Sims, Clark Terry and Mel Lewis. Mulligan was a little less active after the big band broke up but he toured extensively with the Dave Brubeck Quartet (1968-72), had a part-time big band in the 1970s (the Age of Steam), doubled on soprano for a period, led a mid-'70s sextet that included vibraphonist Dave Samuels, and in 1986 jammed on a record with Scott Hamilton. In the 1990s he toured the world with his excellent "no-name" quartet and led a "Rebirth of the Cool Band" that performed and recorded remakes of the Miles Davis Nonet classics. Up until the end, Gerry Mulligan was always eager to play.

Gerry & Franca Mulligan

Mulligan died in Darien, Connecticut, on January 20, 1996, at the age of 68, following complications from knee surgery. His widow Franca – to whom he had been married since 1976 – said he had also been suffering from liver cancer. 


Upon Mulligan's death, his library and numerous personal effects (including a gold-plated Conn baritone saxophone) were given to the Library of Congress. 'The Gerry Mulligan Collection' is open to registered public researchers in the library's Performing Arts Research Centre.The library placed Mulligan's saxophone on permanent exhibit in early 2009.

(Edited from Wikipedia and mainly AllMusic bio by Scott Yanow)

Here's a clip from Germany 1987.Gerry Mulligan (bs), Bill Mays (p), Dean Johnson (b), Butch Miles (dr) 

1 comment:

boppinbob said...

For “Gerry Mulligan - Nights At The Turntable 1951-52” go here:

https://www.upload.ee/files/9793463/Gerry_MULLIGAN_-_1951-52.rar.html

1. ROUNDHOUSE
2. IDE'S SIDE
3. BWEEBIDA BOBBIDA
4. KAPER
5. FUNHOUSE
6. MULLENIUM
7. MULLIGAN'S TOO
8. BERNIE'S TUNE
9. LULLABY OF THE LEAVES
10. UTTER CHAOS
11. LINE FOR LYONS
12. CARIOCA
13. MY FUNNY VALENTINE
14. BARK FOR BARKSDALE/UTTER CHAOS
15. NIGHTS AT THE TURNTABLE
16. FRENESI
17. AREN'T YOU GLAD YOU'RE YOU
18. WALKIN' SHOES
19. SOFT SHOE
20. FREEWAY

This CD charts the early career of jazz giant Gerry Mulligan, from his days as a struggling hot-headed & distinctive voice in New York's musical community to his popular success with his own quartet, which was formed in Los Angeles with Chet Baker on trumpet. This group not only secured both Mulligan & Baker's future but made the baritone Saxophonist the most prominent & respected figure upon his instrument in the jazz world.

Included are many of Mulligan's most famous compositions such as 'Walkin' Shoes', 'Line for Lyons' and 'Bark for Barksdale' as well as the Quartet's two big hits 'Bernies Tune' and the version of Rogers & Hart's 'My Funny Valentine' that established Baker as one of the jazz world's most lyrical improvisers.

A big thank you to Mijas @ ACM2 blog for original post.
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For “Gerry Mulligan Quartet With Chet Baker ‎– Jeru (1952 – 1953)” go here:

https://www.upload.ee/files/9794492/Gerry_Mulligan_-_Jeru_52-53.rar.html

1 Bernie's Tune 2:53
2 Lullaby Of The Leaves 3:13
3 Line For Lyons 2:31
4 Carioca 2:26
5 My Funny Valentine 2:56
6 Bark For Barksdale 3:13
7 Nights At The Turntable 2:51
8 Frenesi 3:08
9 Freeway 2:43
10 Soft Shoe 2:37
11 Walkin' Shoes 3:11
12 Aren't You Glad You're You? 2:50
13 Limelight 2:45
14 The Lady Is A Tramp 3:10
15 Turnstile 2:54
16 Moonlight In Vermont 4:05
17 Motel 2:34
18 Makin' Whoopee 3:27
19 Love Me Or Leave Me 2:42
20 Swing House 2:53
21 Jeru 2:29
22 Darn That Dream 3:48
23 I May Be Wrong But I Think You're Wonderful 2:58
24 The Nearness Of You 2:51
25 Tea For Two 2:46
26 Five Brothers 2:58
27 Utter Chaos 0:20

AllMusic Review by Thom Jurek

This Living Era comp differs significantly from titles of the same name on other labels. These 27 cuts are taken from 1952 and 1953, when the Gerry Mulligan Quartet was getting down to brass tacks and branding West Coast, "cool" jazz as their own. . Here are the classic cuts such as "Bernie's Tune," "My Funny Valentine," "Tea for Two," "Five Brothers," "Moonlight in Vermont," "Nights at the Turntable, and many more. Besides Chet Baker (who appears on these tracks) the other players on this set include bassists Bobby Whitlock and Carson Smith, and either Chico Hamilton or Larry Bunker on drums. The labels these sides come from are mostly Pacific Jazz titles, but there are some Riverside cuts as well. Sound on this collection is very good.

A big thank you to audiotut for mp3s.