Mulligan started on the piano before learning clarinet and the various saxophones. His initial reputation was as an arranger. In 1944 he wrote charts for Johnny Warrington's radio band and soon was making contributions to the books of Tommy Tucker and George Paxton. He moved to New York in 1946 and joined Gene Krupa's Orchestra as a staff arranger; his most notable chart was "Disc Jockey Jump." The rare times he played with Krupa's band was on alto and the same situation existed when he was with Claude Thornhill in 1948.
Gerry Mulligan's first notable recorded work on baritone was with Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool nonet (1948-50) but once again his arrangements ("Godchild," "Darn That Dream" and three of his originals "Jeru," "Rocker" and "Venus de Milo") were more significant than his short solos. Mulligan spent much of 1949 writing for Elliot Lawrence's orchestra and playing anonymously in the saxophone section. It was not until 1951 that he began to get a bit of attention for his work on baritone. Mulligan recorded with his own nonet for Prestige, displaying an already recognizable sound. After he traveled to Los Angeles, he wrote some arrangements for Stan Kenton (including "Youngblood," "Swing House" and "Walking Shoes"), worked at the Lighthouse and then gained a regular Monday night engagement at the Haig. Around this time Mulligan realized that he enjoyed the extra freedom of soloing without a pianist. He jammed with trumpeter Chet Baker and soon their magical rapport was featured in his piano-less quartet. The group caught on quickly in 1952 and made both Mulligan and Baker into stars.
A drug bust put Mulligan out of action and ended that quartet but, when he was released from jail in 1954, Mulligan began a new musical partnership with valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer that was just as successful. Trumpeter Jon Eardley and Zoot Sims on tenor occasionally made the group a sextet and in 1958 trumpeter Art Farmer was featured in Mulligan's Quartet. Being a very flexible player with respect for other stylists, Mulligan went out of his way to record with some of the great musicians he admired. At the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival he traded off with baritonist Harry Carney on "Prima Bara Dubla" while backed by the Duke Ellington Orchestra, and during 1957-60 he recorded separate albums with Thelonious Monk, Paul Desmond, Stan Getz, Ben Webster and Johnny Hodges. Mulligan played on the classic Sound of Jazz television special in 1958 and appeared in the movies I Want to Live and The Subterraneans.
During 1960-64 Mulligan led his Concert Jazz Band which gave him an opportunity to write, play baritone and occasionally double on piano. The orchestra at times included Brookmeyer, Sims, Clark Terry and Mel Lewis. Mulligan was a little less active after the big band broke up but he toured extensively with the Dave Brubeck Quartet (1968-72), had a part-time big band in the 1970s (the Age of Steam), doubled on soprano for a period, led a mid-'70s sextet that included vibraphonist Dave Samuels, and in 1986 jammed on a record with Scott Hamilton. In the 1990s he toured the world with his excellent "no-name" quartet and led a "Rebirth of the Cool Band" that performed and recorded remakes of the Miles Davis Nonet classics. Up until the end, Gerry Mulligan was always eager to play. Gerry Mulligan died on January 20th, 1996 in Darien, CT.
Among Mulligan's compositions were "Walkin' Shoes," "Line for Lyons," "Bark for Barksdale," "Nights at the Turntable," "Utter Chaos," "Soft Shoe," "Bernie's Tune," "Blueport," "Song for Strayhorn," "Song for an Unfinished Woman" and "I Never Was a Young Man" (which he often sang). He recorded extensively through the years for such labels as Prestige, Pacific Jazz, Capitol, Vogue, EmArcy, Columbia, Verve, Milestone, United Artists, Philips, Limelight, A&M, CTI, Chiaroscuro, Who's Who, DRG, Concord and GRP. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Goin' To Kansas City
Gerry Mulligan Lyrics
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I'm going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come
They got a crazy way of loving there
And I'm gonna get me some.
I'll be standing on the corner
On the corner of Twelfth Street and Vine
I'm gonna be standing on the corner
With my Kansas City baby
And a bottle of Kansas City wine.
Well I might take a train
I might take a plane, but if I have to walk
I'm gonna get there just the same
I'm going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come
They got a crazy way of loving there
And I'm gonna get me some.
I'm gonna pack my clothes
Leave at the break of dawn
I'm gonna pack my clothes
Everybody will be sleeping
Nobody will know where I've gone
Cause if I stay in town
I know I'm gonna die.
Gotta find a friendly city
And that's the reason why,
I'm going to Kansas City
Kansas City here I come
They got a crazy way of loving there
And I'm gonna get me some.
The lyrics of Gerry Mulligan's Going to Kansas City exude an air of anticipation and excitement. The singer is heading towards the city, Kansas City, with a hope of finding love. He has heard tales of the city being a hub of insanity in terms of how people love there. The first verse of the song sees the singer repeating 'I'm going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come' twice in his eagerness.
In the second verse, the singer plans on meeting his 'Kansas City baby' on the corner of Twelfth Street and Vine. He also intends to come equipped with a bottle of Kansas City wine. He continues to express his elation about going to Kansas City in the third verse by stating that even if he has to walk to get there, he will still make the journey.
The final verse sees the singer making plans to leave in the early hours of the morning, packed and ready to go. He wants to go to a more welcoming place as the current city he lives in may not be the friendliest. The singer sees Kansas City as a friendly city, and he wants to find love there. The song's lyrics paint an image of the singer being in need of a change of environment, and Kansas City is the destination that can offer him that.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come
I am heading to Kansas City and I am excited about it
They got a crazy way of loving there
Kansas City has a unique and unusual way of showing love
And I'm gonna get me some
I am eager to experience this different style of love for myself
I'll be standing on the corner
I will be at the street corner waiting
On the corner of Twelfth Street and Vine
Specifically at Twelfth Street and Vine, a landmark location in Kansas City
With my Kansas City baby
I will be accompanied by my lover from Kansas City
And a bottle of Kansas City wine
We will have a bottle of wine from the city with us
Well I might take a train
I am considering traveling to Kansas City by train
I might take a plane, but if I have to walk
I may even choose to fly, but if necessary, I will walk to get there
I'm gonna get there just the same
Regardless of the mode of transportation, I am determined to reach my destination
I'm gonna pack my clothes
I am planning to pack my belongings
Leave at the break of dawn
I will leave very early in the morning, at daybreak
Everybody will be sleeping
I will leave while everyone else is still asleep
Nobody will know where I've gone
No one will be aware of my departure
Cause if I stay in town
If I remain in my current location
I know I'm gonna die
I feel that staying in my current city will end in misery or dissatisfaction
Gotta find a friendly city
I need to locate a welcoming and hospitable city
And that's the reason why,
This is why I have chosen to go to Kansas City
Kansas City here I come
I am making my way to Kansas City
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind