| The Gerry Mulligan Songbook | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1958 | |||
| Recorded | December 4–5, 1957 | |||
| Studio | Coastal Studios, New York City | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 59:24 | |||
| Label | World Pacific WP 1237 | |||
| Producer | Richard Bock | |||
| Gerry Mulligan chronology | ||||
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The Gerry Mulligan Songbook (subtitled Volume 1) is an album by American jazz saxophonist Gerry Mulligan featuring performances recorded in late 1957 and released on the World Pacific label. [1] [2]
This album features many arrangements by the composer/arrange Bill Holman. Gerry Mulligan kept the original parts and scores from this album which can be found in his special collection housed at the Library of Congress. [3] Viewing the original scores housed at the Library of Congress, you will find that Holman had labeled the sax parts with the players he may have intended to perform this music. The sax parts are listed as follows: (Names listed on score do not have last names. Names in parentheses were added here for clarity.)
After speaking with Bill Holman, he recalls that Richard Bock had come up with the idea for the album, but after Holman had finished the arrangements, Gerry Mulligan was not available in LA to record them. The music was recorded in New York in December 1957 with alternate players. The arrangement for Crazy Day, was not found in the collection with the other 6 arrangements. The finders guide for the Library of Congress lists Crazy Day in the collection, but has no score, only parts. [4] The arrangements in this collection are pencil drawn in Bill Holman's handwriting. The parts were done by a copyist, unnamed, and are not in Mulligan or Holman's handwriting.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [5] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [6] |
The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow stated "this was one of the rarer Gerry Mulligan albums. The original program consisted of seven Mulligan compositions played by a five-sax octet (including the leader on baritone, altoist Lee Konitz, Allen Eager and Zoot Sims doubling on tenor and alto, Al Cohn on tenor and baritone and a rhythm section consisting of guitarist Freddie Green, bassist Henry Grimes, and drummer Dave Bailey). The session has a few surprise touches, giving listeners the rare opportunity to hear Eager and Sims soloing on alto and Cohn doubling on baritone... Highly recommended for Gerry Mulligan fans". [5]
All compositions by Gerry Mulligan except as indicated
Gerald Joseph Mulligan, also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. 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 pianoless quartet of the early 1950s with trumpeter Chet Baker is still regarded as one of the best cool jazz groups. Mulligan was also a skilled pianist and played several other reed instruments. Several of his compositions, such as "Walkin' Shoes" and "Five Brothers", have become standards.
Birth of the Cool is a compilation album by American jazz musician Miles Davis, released in February or March 1957 on Capitol Records. It compiles eleven tracks recorded by Davis's nonet for the label over the course of three sessions during 1949 and 1950.
New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm is an album by Stan Kenton. "Invention for Guitar and Trumpet" features guitarist Sal Salvador. A New York Times writer commented in 2003 that composer Bill Russo's "Improvisation" piece was "among the highest achievements in orchestral jazz".
Art Pepper + Eleven – Modern Jazz Classics is a 1960 jazz big band album by saxophonist Art Pepper performing under the direction and arrangements of Marty Paich. The recording is one of several dates Pepper made with Paich and his big band in 1959 and is the only one with Pepper as leader. The recording focuses on Paich's big band arrangements of modern jazz classics, including Denzil Best's "Move," Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight," Gerry Mulligan's "Walkin' Shoes". Highlights of the recording are Pepper's clarinet performances on "Anthropology" and the alternate takes of "Walkin'."
Conception is a compilation album issued by Prestige Records in 1956 as PRLP 7013, featuring Miles Davis on a number of tracks. The album, compiled from earlier 10 inch LPs, or as 78rpm singles, also features musicians such as Lee Konitz, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, and Zoot Sims. The cover was designed by Bob Parent. In particular, the entirety of the 10"LP Lee Konitz: The New Sounds makes up all of side 1.
Willis Leonard Holman, known professionally as Bill Holman, is an American composer, arranger, conductor, saxophonist, and songwriter working in jazz and traditional pop. His career is over six decades long, having started with the Charlie Barnet orchestra in 1950.
Buddy & Soul is a 1969 live album by the Buddy Rich Big Band, recorded at the Whisky a Go Go club in West Hollywood, California.
This Is How I Feel About Jazz is a 1957 album by Quincy Jones. Jones arranged and conducted three recording sessions during September 1956, each with a different line-up, from a nonet to a fifteen piece big band. Musicians on the album include Art Farmer, Phil Woods, Lucky Thompson, Hank Jones, Paul Chambers, Milt Jackson, Art Pepper, Zoot Sims, and Herbie Mann. The bonus tracks on the CD release include compositions by Jimmy Giuffre, Lennie Niehaus and Charlie Mariano.
Charles Mingus and Friends in Concert is a live album by jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus recorded at the Philharmonic Hall of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in 1972 and released on the Columbia label. The CD release added five previously unreleased performances from the concert, but did not include the opening track, Fats Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose", present in the LP version and on former Japanese CD editions.
City of Glass, an album originally issued as a 10" LP by Stan Kenton, consists entirely of the music of Bob Graettinger. The original album has been reconstituted in different LP re-issues, and the entire set of Kenton/Graettinger Capitol Records sessions is on the digital CD City of Glass.
Chet Baker & Crew is an album by jazz trumpeter Chet Baker which was recorded in Los Angeles in 1956 and released on the Pacific Jazz label.
The Concert Jazz Band is an album recorded by American jazz saxophonist Gerry Mulligan featuring performances recorded in 1960 which were released on the Verve label.
Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band on Tour is a live album recorded by American jazz saxophonist and bandleader Gerry Mulligan featuring performances recorded in California, Berlin and Milan 1960 which were released on the Verve label. In the CD era it has been superseded by The Complete Santa Monica Concert
Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band at the Village Vanguard is a live album recorded by American jazz saxophonist and bandleader Gerry Mulligan featuring performances recorded at the Village Vanguard in late 1960 which were released on the Verve label.
Gerry Mulligan Presents a Concert in Jazz is an album recorded by American jazz saxophonist and bandleader Gerry Mulligan featuring performances recorded in 1961 which were released on the Verve label.
Lee Konitz Plays with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet is a compilation album by saxophonist and bandleader Gerry Mulligan's Quartet with Lee Konitz featuring performances recorded in early 1953 which were originally released on 10 inch LPs Lee Konitz Plays with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet and Lee Konitz and the Gerry Mulligan Quartet on the Pacific Jazz label along with previously unreleased tracks and alternate takes.
Contemporary Concepts is an album by pianist and bandleader Stan Kenton with featuring performances of jazz standards recorded in 1955 and released on the Capitol label.
Popular Favorites by Stan Kenton is a compilation album by pianist and bandleader Stan Kenton featuring performances recorded between 1951 and 1953 and originally released as a 10-inch LP and 45 rpm EP on Capitol before being reissued as a 12-inch LP with additional tracks in 1955.
Kenton Showcase refers to two 10-inch LPs by bandleader Stan Kenton recorded in early 1954 on Capitol, one each featuring compositions by Bill Holman and Bill Russo. These albums were combined as a 12-inch LP in 1955.
