Mulligan, Gerald Joseph

▪ 1997

      ("GERRY"), U.S. jazz musician and arranger (b. April 6, 1927, New York, N.Y.—d. Jan. 20, 1996, Darien, Conn.), was an outstanding baritone saxophonist, a founder of the 1950s cool jazz idiom, and one of that era's standout stars. The quartet he formed in 1952 lacked the conventional piano to provide harmonic support; in its place Mulligan soloed with only bass and drums backing him, then created countermelodies to accompany the delicate solos of trumpeter Chet Baker. The group's unique sound and horn interplay won it almost immediate fame, and successive Mulligan quartets, featuring trumpeter Art Farmer and trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, offered a similar melody-oriented music. Mulligan's collaborations included recordings with alto saxophonists Lee Konitz and Paul Desmond. After growing up in Philadelphia, Mulligan moved to New York City in 1946 and became a cool jazz arranger and player in Miles Davis's pioneering 1948-50 Birth of the Cool nonet. He also composed big band arrangements for Stan Kenton, Elliot Lawrence, and, most notably, Gene Krupa ("Disc Jockey Jump"). His most original arrangements were adaptations of cool jazz for the short-lived big bands that he formed later in his career, most prominently the pianoless early-'60s Concert Jazz Band. Most of his later career was as a soloist, including the years 1968-72, when he performed in a quartet with pianist Dave Brubeck. His highly distinctive style fused swing era tenor saxophonist Lester Young's phrasing with bebop harmonies. Mulligan played his weighty instrument with a light sound and frequently interjected whimsical humour ("Blight of the Fumble Bee"). His solos grew in richness and authority over time.

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