THE MULLIGAN INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER 2003 - MARCH 2004 ISSUE
by GERARD DUGELAY (Metz, France)

I'm very happy to send you this new issue of the Mulligan International Newsletter. You'll find a lot of information concerning Gerry Mulligan. Nevertheless your help is always very welcome.
THE CHAPTERS OF THIS ISSUE ARE
(click on a heading to go there)
ALL ISSUES OF THE MULLIGAN NEWSLETTER
EVENTS

1. The Gerry Mulligan's Ark by Raymond Horricks

This OWLET PRESS book is an up-dated version of the book which was originally released in 1986 by Apollo Press.
This previous issue was the very first book covering Gerry Mulligan's career; of course this covered only the 1945-1985 period. I loved very much this well written book.

This OWLET PRESS 2003 issue contains three parts :

  1. The biography by R Horricks
  2. The discography by R Horricks
  3. The bootleg situation written by Gordon Jack

The new biography is an excellent one.
It begins in chronological order starting with chapter two (the young and adult musician) and chapter three (the westerner), he continues with themes (chapter four to seven : "Among his peers”, "Bigger Bands", "With Art Farmer", and then he presents studies about Gerry Mulligan "Three Frontier posts", "The symphonic Gerry Mulligan", "From Diz, Jeru and Eric", "Gerry Mulligan's own special sense of movement", "A life in music", then finishes with 6 appendixes of Tributes to Gerry Mulligan.

You can find some errors but this book is very nice to read.

The bootleg situation. This is the list of the unissued recordings known by Gordon Jack. He is one of the greater collectors. You discover with this list the various facets of the musical life of Gerry Mulligan.
Sometimes Gordon Jack lists as a recording a particular concert. Unfortunately, this is only information about this concert and not a recording !!!

  • Brussels, Belgium 1956 03 25
  • Landsthuhl, Germany 1956 03 30
  • Montlouis sur Loire, France 1994 09 16

2. The "Gerry Mulligan Collection" web site at the Library Of Congress

This Gerry Mulligan's big home is a part of the web site "I Hear America Singing". The other parts are about the "Patriotic Melodies", the "Life in Nineteenth-Century Ohio" and "Walt Whitman and his Poem "I Hear America Singing"". Among the various chapters of this incredible web site, I'd select three that I love very much.

"The oral autobiography" is the highlight of this site. In 1995 Gerry Mulligan recorded many hours of his autobiography and the Library of Congress digitalizes and presents us 13 selections of it. You can hear them in using RealAudio or MP3 system.

"Scores and Manuscripts" presents 3 well known Mulligan originals : Jeru, Youngblood and K4-Pacific, by permission of Franca R. Mulligan. This is a major event to have the complete arrangements of these songs.

The photo's gallery is marvellous. A lot of these photographies are new. This chapter is given in 4 parts : Family and Childhood, Early Career, Middle-career, Late-career.

GERRY MULLIGAN'S RECORDINGS

1. The complete VERVE Gerry Mulligan Concert Band
Mosaïc MD4-221
Mosaïc-VERVE 986 061-3

This issue confirms once again the incredible quality of the Mosaïc records !!! The Bill Kirchner notes are very very interesting and they include an history of the CJB between 1960-1964 and the tunes are also well presented. The 20 rare photographies of the CJB are from Sy Johnson, Don and Maggi Mikiten, Burt Holzman Goldblatt and Chuck Stewart. As appendix we find a list of the songs played by the CJB with the name of the arranger.

This 4 CD box set presents 36 issued songs and 11 unissued ones.

  • 4 from the May 1960 studio session (the first version of "Out Of This World", "Sweet And Slow" and two new songs "Barbara's Theme", I Know, Don't Know How")
  • 3 from the October 1, 1960 Monterey concert ("Blueport", and for the first time on a commercial release "Youngblood" and "As Catch Can")
  • 4 from the December 1962 studio session ( three alternate takes "Ballad", "Bridgehampton South", "Bridgehampton Strut" and a new song "Chant"

We hoped for many other unissued songs, but Mosaïc informs us that the tapes no longer exist, in particular for the December 1960 Village Vanguard recordings ………….

2. June 14, 1952 Gerry Mulligan with Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All Stars - Hermosa Beach

This recording is a private one featuring the following musicians :Shorty Rogers (tp), Aaron Sachs (cl), Jimmy Giuffre (ts), Gerry Mulligan (bs), Frank Patchen (p), Tommy Potter (b), Shelly Manne (d).

Only a 17 minute tune was recorded, "Tiny's Blues". The solo order is clarinet, Tenor saxophone, trumpet, baritone saxophone, piano, bass. Gerry Mulligan played very nicely.

3. 1956-1957 Gerry Mulligan Quartet USA

I received a recording from Scotland. This is an old 50s radio recording based on a "Voice of America" broadcast. The announced musicians are Bob Brookmeyer (vtb), Gerry Mulligan (bs), Dave Bailey (d) but the bassist is unknown because the recording was cut at this moment . Is this Bill Crow or Joe Benjamin (b) ?

Compared with the recordings I have, I can suppose that the music was recorded at Newport 1957. All the following songs were recorded at this famous festival. Nevertheless the timing is at each time 8-10 seconds less on this new recording.

  1. Motel (4min19s) Frenesi (3min39s)
  2. Laura (3min40s)
  3. My Funny Valentine (4min17s)
  4. Open Country (4min20s)
  5. Line for Lyons (2min50s)

4. 1957 Thelonious Monk meets Gerry Mulligan on Riverside RCD 1106-2

The 2 LPs album "Thelonious Monk - Gerry Mulligan / ‘Round Midnight" issued in 1983 on Milestone 68136, contained for the first time many alternate takes from the 2 sessions. Then in 1987 OJC issued partially this album (only 9 songs) on CD (minus take 1 of the song "I Mean You"). This new Riverside CD RCD 1106-2 contains the 10 songs originally issued on the 2 LPs.

5. 1960 12 Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band at the Village Vanguard

I received during the last few months many unissued recordings of the famous Concert Jazz Band. The music is excellent !! Below you find more details about these recordings

6. December 8, 1960 Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band - Probably Village Vanguard, Same orchestra

  1. Bweebida Bobbida (inc) (0mn32s)
  2. Blueport (10mn24s)
  3. Body & Soul   (5mn38s) 
  4. Lady Chatterley's Mother (6mn08s)
  5. Utter Chaos (1mn14s)
  6. Lady Chatterley's Mother (take 2) (6mn29s)
  7. Black Nightgown (3mn45s)
  8. Apple Core (4mn43s)
  9. Come Rain Or Come shine (4mn44s)
  10. I Know, Don't Know How (6mn30s)

- During "Body & Soul", Mulligan is heard cursing the audience for talking !

7. December 7, 1960 Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band - Village Vanguard, New York Clark Terry replaces Conte Candoli (tp), Zoot Sims out Bill Crow replaces Buddy Clark, rest same

  • Lady Chatterley's Mother (6mn13s)
  • Piano Blues (20mn21s)

8. December 10, 1960 Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band - Same place and orchestra

  1. Out of this World (3mn40s)
  2. Utter Chaos (1mn16s)
  3. Piano Blues   (15mn05s) 

9. 1968 10 26 Dave Brubeck Trio featuring Gerry Mulligan, Basel

This is a rare recording of the 1968 European tour.

The quartet was composed of Alan Dawson (d), Jack Six (b), Dave Brubeck (p) and Gerry Mulligan (bs).

The selections broadcasted were :

  1. New Orleans (8mn41s)
  2. Blessed are the Poor (5mn41s)
  3. Happy are the Poor (probably) (7mn19s)
  4. Jumpin' Beans (6mn05s
  5. Limehouse Blues (9mn00s)
  6. Someday my Prince Will Come (inc) (5mn36s)
  7. Indian Song (5mn37s)
  8. Basin Street Blues (inc) (1mn03s)

10. 1970 11 Dave Brubeck Trio featuring Gerry Mulligan, Berlin

One year ago I found my first video take concerning the Dave Brubeck - Gerry Mulligan 1970 European Tour. These 3 minutes extract of "The Duke" was a great time for me.

I've just received a 45 minutes video including 4 new songs "Indian Song", "Blessed are the Poor", Things ain't what they used to be", "Out of the Way of the People".
As the image quality is good, you can imagine my happiness to see this video.

I compared the timing of each songs to the ones on CD, I was very surprised to find a large difference about "Blessed are the Poor". The video take is only 7min18s against the 8min48s on CD or various LPs !! No cut seemed to be made on the video !!!

Were there two performances during this November 7, evening ?
Following the booklet of the Columbia Legacy issue, It seems no.
The video also shows that the temperature was very hot on stage.

OTHER MUSICIANS PLAY GERRY MULLIGAN :

1. BILL HOLMAN - BOB BROOKMEYER CJB TRIBUTE 1996 The concert was at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Redondo Beach, Ca, on May 26, 1996. The orchestra including Conte Candoli, Bob Brookmeyer, Herb Geller, Gary Foster and the famous Gary Smulyan at the baritone saxophone. This big band was firstly led by Bill Holman and then by Bob Brookmeyer.

Bill Holman directed :

  1. Out of This World (3mn53s)
  2. I'm Gonna Go Fishing (5mn33s)
  3. Go Home (8mn48s)
  4. Apple Core (4mn03s)
  5. I Want To Live (6mn27s)
  6. Barbara's Theme (5mn36s)
  7. Sweet and Slow (5mn45s)

Bob Brookmeyer directed :

  1. You Took Advantage of Me (4mn40s)
  2. Castle of My Dreams (3mn50s)
  3. I [Know, Don't Know How (4mn56s)
  4. Bweebida Bobbida (8mn12s).

2. DAVE FRISHBERG solo - Can't Take You Nowhere, Fantasy CD F9651-2

Dave Frishberg wrote lyrics for the Zoot Sims-Gerry Mulligan song "The Red Door", this new song is called "Zoot Walks In". The Fantasy album "Can't Take You Nowhere" is a solo performance of Dave Frishberg and he plays "Zoot Walks In" (2min 49s)

3. PAUL DESMOND Quartet - Quartet Live, A& M 543 501-2 A new recording of the Paul Desmond Quartet is always welcome. Recorded in October - November 1975 and issued on CD during 2000, this "Line For Lyons" (7min 25s) is an exciting one. Paul Desmond is with Ed Bickert (g), Don Thompson (b), Jerry Fuller (d). The solo order is Desmond, Bickert, Thompson.

4. JIM CIFELLI Nonet - "So You Say", A Records 73175 Issued in 1998, by A Records this Jim Cifelli's album presents a nice version of "Night Lights" (5min 40s). The nonet is composed by Jim Cifelli (flh,tp), Andy Gravish (flh, tp), Cliff Lyons (as, ss), J Frahm (ts), Barbara Cifelli (bs, bcl, fl), Mary Ann McSweeney (b), Pet McCann (g), Pete Mc Guiness (p), Tim Horner (d) You can find more information about the Jim Cifelli Nonet at www.jazznonet.com

5. BJARNE NEREM with the Jan Johansson Trio - Kristianstad, probably 1965, March 2

The Swedish tenor saxophonist Bjarne Nerem (1923-1991) played "Swinghouse" with the Jan Johansson Trio composed by Georg Riedel (b), Egil Johansen (d) and Jan Johansson (p)

6. STAN GETZ

This is not a Gerry Mulligan's original, but the Bill Crow's composition "News from Blueport". Regularly played by the Gerry Mulligan Quartet during the May 1959 European Tour, this theme were played at Stockholm by Stan GETZ in November 1959 . The sidemen were Jan Johansson (p), Dan Jordan (b), William Schioppfe (d).

7. STAN KENTON - "On The Air", STATUS CD 1022

From a NBC Radio Show recorded the July 13, 1952, a Mulligan's arrangement of "Too Marvelous For Words" (3min 10s).

8. STAN KENTON Orchestra - "Live Hits & Rareties", STATUS CD 1041

This album offers us a new take of "Walking Shoes" (2min 06s) recorded by the Stan Kenton Orchestra at Ukiah in February 1959.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

1. DUSSELDORF 1960

I found a poster of the Gerry Mulligan performance at Rhein Halle of Dusseldorf (Germany) the November 8, 1960. The text is : Norman Granz Verve Records presents Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Big Band featuring Gerry Mulligan Quartet, Zoot Sims Quartet, Bob Brookmeyer Quintet.

This is the first time I saw a poster about this famous European tour of the CJB. Was the presence of the small combos only for this concert ??

2. RADIO JERICO METZ

"La Boite à Jazz" programme of Radio JERICO presented during these last months a large survey of the Gerry Mulligan career. 28 programmes of 10 minutes !! Covering the 50 years of works of Gerry Mulligan !! 16 programmes were dedicated to the period 1944 -1967 and 12 were about the period 1968 - 1995.