February/March Memphis Musician

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Saturday morning, January 20th, baritone saxophonist, arranger, and jazz pioneer Gerry Mulligan passed away at the age of 68 from complications due to surgery.
Known equally for his skills on the baritone sax and his work as an arranger, Mulligan became identified as one of the founders of the "cool school" of jazz. His seminal work in the genre was a 1952 session with trumpeter Chet Baker, backed by bass and drums, but sans piano - nearly unheard of at the time. Interestingly enough, while Mulligan and Baker were working without a piano in their live gigs at the time (for reasons having to do with the quality or absence of a piano at their regular club gig), Pianist Jimmy Rowles was scheduled to play on the sessions, but didn't show up. Mulligan went on with the session, and after reviewing the tapes, decided to stick with the pianoless instrumentation.
Mulligan had also previously worked closely with Miles Davis and Gil Evans on the "Birth of the Cool" project, contributing 50% of the compositions and arrangements used on the album. Davis tended to claim the Lion's share of the glory for the album, however, which put a strain on their relationship in later years.
Instrumentally, Gerry Mulligan may be considered to be the first baritone sax player to put the horn out front. While Serge Chaloff preceded him by more than a decade and established a standard for virtuosity not yet matched or excelled, Chaloff's lightning runs, chromaticism, and heavy use of the upper registers invites comparison to Charlie Parker and other alto players moreso than defining a baritone sound.
Mulligan, on the other hand, was the bari player's bari player. His improvisations tended towards the lyrical and his tone was defined by a warm, mellow sound. In a 1993 interview in "The Saxophone Journal," he described his own sound as being like a section of cellos. Mulligan also left a broad swath on the following generation of baritone saxophonists: Pepper Adams, Leo Parker, and to a lesser degree Nick Brignola were profoundly influenced by Mulligan and his sound can be heard in their work ranging from the late 1950s to today. Even Mulligan's choice of equipment has had an effect on the vintage saxophone market. With the exception of a brief "flirtation" with Selmer saxophones, Mulligan recorded and played exclusively on two late 1920s Conn 12Ms. To this day, late 20s Conn baritones in silver or gold plate carry a $300-500 premium over comparable horns because of the Mulligan connection.
In the same interview, Mulligan defined the cool label that was so often used to describe his playing and approach to jazz:
"Cool meant you were down and with it. It signified someone who was hip and had it all together. They had it so together that they didn't have to go displaying it. That's what cool meant."

The Inside Memphis label, the Wampus Cats, the Memphis Sheiks, and Robert Nighthawk II (nee Tooms) have drawn a well deserved collection of good reviews locally, and the Memphis Sheiks have gotten good notices in the national blues press. Also well worth investigating are the re-releases of historic blues and jazz on the Memphis Archives label. An absolute must have is Piano Wizards, a collection of recordings between 1927 and 1939 featuring such diverse pianists as Duke Ellington, Earl Hines, Fats Waller, and Little Brother Montgomery. Predictably, the recordings cover a broad range of styles in that gray area between ragtime, blues, and jazz. Fortunately for listeners, the quality of the mastering is equal to the keyboard virtuosity displayed, and the CD is one of the most pleasant listens I've had in recent memory. Equally recommended are Isham Jones' Swinging Down the Lane, and the Memphis Jug Band's State of Tennessee Blues.

Like good Ro-Tel cheese dip, sleazy guitar tangos aren't the sort of thing you're really proud of enjoying, but they're a guilty pleasure its nearly impossible to deny. Teisco Del Rey's Music For Lovers on the Upstart Label is one of the most delightfully sleazy recordings ever made. You'll have to clean the cheese whiz out of your CD player after playing this one, but it's well worth the effort. I'm not sure if Astor Piazzola would approve, but this release lives up to the back cover billing: "A 13-page instrumental love letter from the cheese wizard of the electric guitar. Sure to get that special someone very hot and extremely bothered." Worth special note is the cover and liner art. Great stuff.

Finally, good improvisational skills are a pre-requisite for a career in jazz, and improvisation isn't always limited to the music. Despite an earlier notice in this column, the Unified Jazz Ensemble's third self produced CD did not debut January 17 at That Bookstore In Blytheville. Problems with cover art (held up in Canada) and liner notes have pushed the release date back to mid-February, and the band has rescheduled their release party/concert/reception/schmooze for February 16 at 7:30 PM at That Bookstore in Blytheville (1-800-844-8306). On the off chance, you missed last month's column, imagine the Modern Jazz Quartet with Coltrane. That sounds like hype (and it is, but not so far fetched as you might imagine), but these guys are well worth an hour's drive up I-55. They'll also be performing January 29 and February 26 at the Ritz Theatre in Downtown Blytheville. Both concerts are free and start at 7:30.

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