Gerry Mulligan

Gerry Mulligan
Mulligan, c. 1980s, by William P. Gottlieb
Mulligan, c. 1980s, by William P. Gottlieb
Background information
Birth nameGerald Joseph Mulligan
Born(1927-04-06)April 6, 1927
Queens, New York, U.S.
DiedJanuary 20, 1996(1996-01-20) (aged 68)
Darien, Connecticut, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • composer
  • arranger
Instruments
Years active1946–1996
Spouses
Jeffie Boyd
​
​
(m. 1953; ann. 1953)​
[1]
Arlyne Brown
​
​
(m. 1953; div. 1959)​
[2]
Franca Rota
​
(m. 1982)​
[3]
Partners

Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru,[6] was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger.[7] Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing the instrument with a light and airy tone in the era of cool jazz—Mulligan was also a significant arranger working with Claude Thornhill, Miles Davis, Stan Kenton, and others. His piano-less quartet of the early 1950s with trumpeter Chet Baker is still regarded as one of the best cool jazz ensembles. Mulligan was also a skilled pianist and played several other reed instruments. Several of his compositions including "Walkin' Shoes" and "Five Brothers", have become standards.

  1. ^ Josephson (2015), p. 33
  2. ^ Josephson (2015), p. 34
  3. ^ Josephson (2015), p. 89
  4. ^ Josephson (2015), p. 52
  5. ^ Josephson (2015), p. 72
  6. ^ McDonough, John (April 1996). "Goodbye, Jeru". Down Beat. 63 (4): 26.
  7. ^ Watrous, Peter (January 21, 1996). "Gerry Mulligan, a Baritone Saxophonist And 'Cool School' Jazz Pioneer, Dies at 68". The New York Times.