Gerry Mulligan's
Top 10 Records |
| | | | | | | | | |
 |
|
|
|
Name: Gerry Mulligan
| Nee: |
Gerald Joseph Mulligan |
| Born: |
6 Apr 1927 |
| Died: |
20 Jan 1996 |
| Origin: |
New York, United States |
| Instruments: |
Sax (Baritone), Piano |
|
| |
Gerry Mulligan started playing the piano first then the alto saxophone before taking up the baritone saxophone a few years later. He then moved on to concentrating on arranging. His arrangements were used by Gene Krupa and Claude Thornhill, occasionally he played in their reed sections. He met and began a musical association with fellow arranger Gil Evans when he was writing for Thornhill.
In 1948 in New York, Gerry Mulligan joined Miles Davis writing and playing for him now exclusively on baritone. In 1952 an association with Chet Baker brought him widespread popularity. The quartet was unusual as it didn't have a piano. Baker quit in 1953 and Gerry Mulligan subsequently led other quartets the notable one being with Bob Brookmeyer in the mid 1950's. Gerry Mulligan concentrated his work with quartets but occasionally formed larger groups as in his Concert Jazz Band in the 1960's. He also had periods working with leaders and musicians including Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Stan Getz, Johnny Hodges, Zoot Sims and Thelonious Monk.
Gerry Mulligan, as an arranger, was amongst the first to adapt bop for the big band. He achieved moderate success with Krupps and Thornhill. His classic compositions from the 1950's, including 'Night At The Turntable', 'Walkin' Shoes', 'Venus De Milo', 'Soft Shoe' and 'Jeru', and his superb arrangements for 'Bernie's Tune', 'Godchild' and others, helped to establish the sound and style of the so-called 'cool school'.
By the late 1970's, Gerry Mulligan stopped playing preferring to stay at home and write arrangements. He did, however make a comeback in the 1980's with 'Little Big Horn' and 'Re-Birth of the Cool' which were commercially successful.
Gerry Mulligan was enormously popular over five decades but it seems that very few musicians regarded him as a role model. This is probably due to the fact that the baritone saxophone is not a popular instrument. His contribution to the jazz scene in the pioneering decade of the 1950's was enormous. Maybe in time to come he will be regarded as more important than he is today. |
|
|
|
