1. Israel - Triumphant Sax
2. Deception
3. Move - Digital Big Band Bash
4. Rouge
5. Rocker
6. Godchild
7. Moon Dreams
8. Venus De Milo
9. Budo
10. Boplicity
11. Darn That Dream
12. Jeru

• Bill Barber
• Dave Bargeron
• John Clark
• Dean Johnson
• John Lewis
• Gerry Mulligan
• Wallace Roney
• Mel Torme
• Ron Vincent
• Phil Woods

 LINER NOTES

Bebop had brought startling innovations to jazz. Gerry, Miles, Gil and others foresaw the possibility of a new dimension that would allow an orchestral vision integrating bop's characteristics with written elements.

As Gerry pointed out, "We wanted the arrangers to have orchestral colors to work with, at the some time retaining the lightness and freedom of a small band." After much deliberation this is the instrumentation Gil and Gerry decided on.

"One of the things that made it practical to use instruments such as tuba and French horn in the ensemble was that there were players already trying to adapt their instruments to a new approach. When Gil first told me about Bill Barber, he said Bill liked to transcribe Lester Young solos for tuba!"

Much of the inspiration stemmed from the Claude Thornhill Orchestra, to whose library both Evans and Mulligan had contributed. In fact, it was Gil who brought the, then, 19 year old Mulligan into the Thornhill orbit.

But it was Miles Davis who, as Gerry explained it ". . . put the theories to work, called the rehearsals, hired the halls, and generally cracked the whip."

Move, Jeru, Godchild and Budo were recorded January 21, 1949, and were released as two 78s. Venus de Milo, Boplicity, Israel and Rouge were cut three months later, and the final session in March of 1950 yielded Moon Dreams, Deception, Rocker and Darn That Dream. In 1954, eight of the tunes were released on a 10 inch LP. Three years later a 12 inch LP, with all 11 instrumentals (omitting the vocal Darn That Dream), appeared under the Birth of the Cool title by which the sessions have been known ever since.

In the summer of 1991, in Rotterdam, Gerry told Miles he was planning to play the music again. Miles, who was very enthusiastic about the concert at the Montreux Festival two weeks before, (where he had played many of the great works Gil Evans had written for him, with an orchestra assembled by Quincy Jones), said to let him know when it was going to be, and maybe he would do it. Sadly, it was not to be.

With Miles' death the decision to find a suitable trumpet for this demanding role resulted in the selection of Wallace Roney, whose career had reached a high point when he joined Miles in an historic duet at the Montreux concert. Thus he was a logical choice for the "Re-Birth" project.

Gerry says, "He really understands something about Miles' melodic sense, He did some astounding melodic things on this album."

Gerry and Bill Barber were on all three of the original sessions, and John Lewis was on the lost two. Gerry recalls, "John was Ella Fitzgeral d's accompanist and it was just our bad luck that Ella was scheduled to record the same day as our first session!" Lee, Konitz, who was on all the early sessions, was originally scheduled to join the Re-birth" recording, but due to previous commitments that had him on the other side of the globe, it was impossible to get everybody together at the so at the some time. "When Lee asked me who was going o take his place on alto, and I told him Phil Woods would like to do it, Lee laughed and said, 'I think you just invented the "Birth of the Hot!

Gerry went on to say, "Phil told me he'd always wanted to play this music, so it was like a dream come true for him. He plays some absolutely fantastic solos and added a great spirit to the whole project!"

Rounding out the "Re-Birth" group are trombonist Dave Bargeron and French hornist Dave Clark both of whom were associated with Gil Evans in later years.

Gerry called on old friend and colleague Mel Torme to sing Darn That Droom, the one vocal in the collection. "Mel was happy to do this," Gerry says. "He always loved this instrumentation, and later on, my Tentet. In fact, he made an album with a similar instrumentation and we've talked for years about doing an album together along similar lines, which we'll get around to eventually. When I told him we were doing this, he was eager to take part."

As these notes go to press, Gerry is planning a tour of the summer festivals with his Tentet, the instrumentation presented here, plus the addition of another trumpet and a clarinet. "We're introducing the band at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago (where Gerry is currently Artistic Director of their "Jazz in June" series), at the Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, and Carnegie Hall in New York.

The Birth of the Cool concept (which, in fact, was by no means as cool as the name implied!) lives on, some 40 years after Miles and Gil and Gerry and their fellow dreamers put their innovative ideas or record. It might well be added that the cool was not reborn, since for anyone who recalls its pristine glory, it never really went away!

from "Triumphant Sax"

Without question, Gerry Mulligan is the most celebrated baritone saxophonist in the history of jazz. In a career that spans six decades, the smooth Mulligan has constantly been a cutting-edge innovator, not only as a saxophonist but as a composer, arranger and occasional pianist. His collaborations with the like of Miles Davis, Chet Baker and Bob Brookmeyer etched memorable chaters in a career that has embraced everything from intimate small-group settings and elaborate big band arrangements to thoroughly modern fare.

"Israel" comes from Rebirth Of the Cool, his 1992 homage to Miles Davis' seminal Birth of The Cool album, which featured haunting and innovative charts by Mulligan and Gil Evans. Low tones from Bill Barber's tuba, Dave bargeron's trombone and Mulligan's baritone give this John Carisi composition the same warmth that distinguished the material on the original Davis date. from "Digital Big Band bash

Perhaps the smallest of the big band ensembles heard in this collection is the tentet assembled by baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan, in his recent remake of the historic Rebirth Of the Cool recordings Of 1949-50. Mulligan, who came out of the Claude Thornhill Band, was not only an original member of the Birth of the Cool sessions with Miles Davis, but also arranged a number of key songs. Wallace Roney replaced Miles Davis on trumpet for the Rebirth Of the Cool sessions.

As an ensemble recording, the original Birth of the Cool sessions broke new ground to become a landmark recording. This updated '90s version, with extended arrangements of the originals, gives the recording a fresh new approach. It is a reminder of the rich inventiveness of jazz, and for this reason has its place in this collection of big band sounds.

Pianist John Lewis, another original member of the Birth of the Cool sessions, returned for the Rebirth Of the Cool recordings and again is heard on the song he originally arranged, "Move."