Biography of Gerry Mulligan

Now an elder statesman of the cool sound, Gerry Mulligan is arguably the best-known baritone saxophonist in jazz. He grew up in Philadelphia and got some early recognition as a writer. Mulligan's never had any problems with the cumbersome baritone sax -- getting a rich, full sound, and displaying great range, tone, and ideas. He had songs recorded by Gene Krupa in 1947 and Claude Thornhill in 1948, and he also played in both bands on alto. He joined the Miles Davis band in 1948, switched to baritone, and was one of the participants in the seminal cool recordings that proved extremely influential in forging an alternative to bop. He led groups similar to The Davis orchestra in 1951, 1953, and 1972, and spent a year writing for Stan Kenton in 1953. But he attained his reputation for his work with a number of quartets in the 50s, particularly his 1952-1953 group with trumpeter Chet Baker, plus other groups he led with Jon Eardley, Bob Brookmeyer, and Zoot Sims. Mulligan led a 12-piece unit for three years in the early 60s and spent four years with the Dave Brubeck band. As a composer and arranger, Mulligan was famous for writing pieces that didn't include the piano, and for leading ensembles that lacked either piano or guitar. His arrangements emphasized precision, swing, and a mild sound, with Mulligan usually opting for either two or three trumpets in his brass section, rather than the customary four. He's also made some extraordinary albums working with people he wouldn't normally be stylistically linked with, such as alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges and tenor saxophonist Ben Webster. ~ Ron Wynn