About Me
Born in New York on April 6,1927, Mulligan spent his childhood and adolescence in several American cities as his family moved wherever his father's career as an engineer took them. Mulligan first studied piano at the age of seven, and then began studying clarinet. He studied saxophone with Sam Correnti, who encouraged him to begin arranging. When the family moved to Philadelphia, sixteen-year-old Gerry called on Johnny Warrington, director of the WCAU-CBS radio orchestra, to offer his services.In the mid 1940's, Mulligan played tenor sax in a special concert at Philadelphia's Academy of Music that featured some of the new stars of the day: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Sarah Vaughan. Gerry was pleased when a complimentary Parker invited him to a postconcert jam session. Thinking he'd been invited to the session just to listen, Gerry's heart skipped a beat when Parker retrieved Gerry's tenor from the checkroom, blew a few notes through it, and insisted that Gerry play. There was no refusing. "I was scared to death," Mulligan remembered, "but Charlie was helpful and encouraging. It never hurts to have someone like him give you a shove when you're young."At nineteen, Mulligan wrote and played for Gene Krupa's orchestra and then for Claude Thornhill. Also at this time, he was studying with Gil Evans and began associating with artists such as John Lewis, Charles Mingus, Lee Konitz, George Russell, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Jack "Zoot" Sims, and Al Cohn.In California in 1951, Mulligan formed the first pianoless quartet, an innovation which would influence musicians for decades to come. The quartet, which featured Chet Baker on trumpet, Carson Smith on bass, and Chico Hamilton on drums, became a focal point of the West Coast Jazz movement, even though Mulligan had always maintained headquarters on the East Coast. Later groups featured Bob Brookmeyer, Zoot Sims, Art Farmer, and Red Mitchell.With his quartet, Mulligan often toured with Duke Ellington, whom he names as his favorite composer, and with whom he shared a passion for trains and railroads. Ellington composed "Prima Bara Dubla" for Mulligan and his good friend, baritone saxophonist Harry Carney.Mulligan continued to lead small, medium-sized and large bands, all of which evolved from the pianoless quartet idea. "I'll always think as an arranger," Mulligan explained, "each band represents another writing approach." In 1960, Mulligan formed the first Concert Jazz Band. The band appeared at the Village Vanguard in New York and featured the pianoless rhythm section, five reeds, including Gerry, and six brass. Gerry toured North America and Europe with the band and recorded five albums for Norman Granz's Verve Records.
