These 1951 recordings were Gerry Mulligan's first as a leader, and they're testimony to his skills as both a composer and an improvising soloist. Five charts for a nine-piece group expand on the kind of work Mulligan had done on the Birth of the Cool sessions two years earlier, though here he develops some darker ensemble textures with the use of two baritone saxophones. As a composer, Mulligan was already a master of subtle voicings, and he coupled them with tunes that could generate an easy swing. The concluding "Mulligan's Too" is a 17-minute blowing tune with strong solos by Mulligan and Allen Eager, the latter making positive use of the influence of Lester Young on the era's younger tenor players. --Stuart Broomer
Gerry Mulligan Plays Mulligan,Gerry Mulligan,Ojc,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop
Jazz Music:
- Give It All You've Got [Import]
- Got Swing!
- Gravy Waltz: Best Of Herb Ellis
- Greenlight
- Hawk in Paris [Original recording remastered] [Import]
- Hellbent
- Henry B. Meets Alvin G. Once in a Wild
- Hot Recordings by a West Coast Band, 1922-32
- How Deep Is the Ocean
- How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying: The Jazz Version/Gloomy Sunday & Other Bright Moments [2 On 1]
Jazz Music
Essential Aussie Songbook [Import]
Live at the Concord Jazz Festival [Import] [Limited Edition] [Live] [Original recording remastered]
Keep on Smilin'/Dixie Rock [Original recording remastered]