Gerry Mulligan was born on April 6, 1927 in
New York and was one of the most versatile of all jazz musicians. With ease, he
could play many instruments, compose, and arrange for other jazz figures as
well as do his own solo work! Although associated with the baritone saxophone
of which he was its master, he was also a very fine pianist and recorded some
excellent jazz piano music.
Mulligan was associated with such jazz
greats as Gene Krupa, Miles Davis, Lee Konitz, Kai Winding, Chet Baker, Stan
Kenton, Dave Brubeck, Astor Piazzolla, Bob Brookmeyer, Art Farmer, Thelonious
Monk, Zoot Sims, among many others. He was a prolific composer, and wrote such
jazz standards as "Jeru." Mulligan also experimented with jazz forms and
pioneered these forms with his memorable style and approaches!
Of the
many jazz musicians in the news, he was among those quoted most often, and his
life oftentimes made headlines in much the same manner as his friends, Miles
Davis and Chet Baker. He was a musician's musician and respected talent
whenever he encountered it, and encouraged numerous young and upcoming jazz
musicians.
There are so many memorable recordings he made that it is
hard to say which was the finest because he was always going into new territory
of jazz expression to develope a motif then moving on to something equally new.
Among those recordings would have to be included "Birth of the Cool" with Miles
Davis, "What Is There To Say?," "Two of a Mind." He also performed and recorded
with Stan Getz, Chet Baker, and Paul Desmond during his varied and successful
career.
Mulligan's last three recordings before his death have remained
among his most popular later releases: "Dream A Little Dream," "Paraiso," and
"Dragonfly." An interesting aspect of "Paraiso" is that it features bossa nova
songs written and performed by Mulligan, accompanied by the Brazilian vocalist
Jane Duboc. The "Paraiso" collection includes such songs as "Paraiso," "Willow
Tree," "Bordado," and "O Bom Alvinho," and reveals Mulligan in top-notch form.
"Paraiso" is one of his most expressive, mellow recordings, very full of life
and jazz expressions.
Gerry Mulligan died during January 1996 of
complications following knee surgery. It is an enduring tribute to his career
that most of his recordings are still available today, or in the process of
being reissued.
For those jazz listeners wishing to discover additional
performances of Gerry Mulligan, there are many recordings available. Here is a
sampling:
"Triple Play" (3CD set, classic Mulligan), Telarc, 1998.
"Mullenium," Columbia, 1998. "Sextet 1955 - 1956," Giants of Jazz,
1998. "Greatest Hits," RCA, 1998. "Original Quartet With Chet Baker"
(2CD set), Blue Note, 1998. "Quartets," Hindsight, 1997. "Mulligan,"
Laserlight, 1996. "Gerry Mulligan Songbook," Blue Note, 1996. "Gerry
Mulligan and Paul Desmond Quartet," Ultradisc, 1995. "The Shadow of Your
Smile," Moon, 1994. "Carnegie Hall Concert," Columbia, 1987. "Soft
Lights and Sweet Music," Concord Jazz, 1987.
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