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
How About You
Gerry Mulligan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life can be a joy
But the note they end on
Will depend on
Little pleasures they will share
So let us compare
I like New York in June, how about you?
I love a fireside when a storm is due.
I like potato chips, moonlight and motor trips,
How about you?
I'm mad about good books, can't get my fill,
And Franklin Roosevelt's looks give me a thrill.
Holding hands at the movie show,
When all the lights are low
May not be new, but I like it,
How about you?
I like Jack Benny's jokes.
To a degree.
I love the common folks.
That includes me.
I like to window shop on 5th Avenue.
I like banana splits, late supper at the Ritz,
How about you?
I love to dream of fame, maybe I'll shine.
I'd love to see your name right beside mine.
I can see we're in harmony,
Looks like we both agree
On what to do,
And I like it, how about you?
The lyrics of Gerry Mulligan's song "How About You" initially describe a romantic encounter between a boy and a girl, stating that the outcome of their relationship will depend on the little pleasures they share. The song then shifts towards the singer's personal tastes and preferences as he asks his listener how they feel about various experiences. He mentions his love for New York in June and Gershwin tunes and his enjoyment of potato chips, moonlight, and motor trips. He also expresses his passion for good books and Franklin Roosevelt's appearance, and reminisces about simple pleasures like holding hands in a dimly lit movie theater.
Towards the end of the song, the singer acknowledges that he and his listener seem to have very similar interests, mentioning their mutual enjoyment of jokes by comedian Jack Benny, window shopping in New York's 5th Avenue and indulging in banana splits at the Ritz. The song ends on an optimistic note, with the singer suggesting that he and his listener are in perfect harmony and agreeing on what to do, as he happily asks if they like it.
The lyrics of "How About You" capture the essence of romance and the joys of shared experiences. The song encourages listeners to savor romantic encounters and focus on taking pleasure in life's simple pleasures.
Line by Line Meaning
When a girl meets boy
A romantic relationship has begun
Life can be a joy
This new relationship can bring happiness
But the note they end on
The ultimate outcome of the relationship depends on
Will depend on
Ultimately hinges on
Little pleasures they will share
The small things in life that they both enjoy
So let us compare
Let’s see if we have those things in common
I like New York in June, how about you?
Do you also enjoy New York in the summertime?
I like a Gershwin tune, how about you?
Do you share my love of Gershwin’s music?
I love a fireside when a storm is due.
I enjoy being cozy by the fire when it’s about to rain
I like potato chips, moonlight and motor trips,
I enjoy simple things like eating chips, taking trips in the moonlight, and driving in the car
How about you?
Do you feel the same way?
I'm mad about good books, can't get my fill,
I really love reading, I can never read enough
And Franklin Roosevelt's looks give me a thrill.
I find Franklin Roosevelt very attractive, he gives me a pleasant feeling
Holding hands at the movie show,
I enjoy sitting close and holding hands at the cinema
When all the lights are low
especially when the lights are dim
May not be new, but I like it,
This romantic activity may not be novel, but it still feels nice
How about you?
Do you also like this type of behavior?
I like Jack Benny's jokes.
I find Jack Benny’s humor entertaining
To a degree.
I appreciate it up to a point
I love the common folks.
I also have a fondness for ordinary people
That includes me.
I consider myself a common person too
I like to window shop on 5th Avenue.
I enjoy walking around and looking at stores on the famous shopping street
I like banana splits, late supper at the Ritz,
I enjoy eating delicious desserts like banana splits and having fancy late meals at the Ritz hotel
How about you?
Are you similarly into finer things and delicious foods?
I love to dream of fame, maybe I'll shine.
I daydream about becoming well-known and maybe achieving success
I'd love to see your name right beside mine.
It would please me to have you join me in attaining that fame
I can see we're in harmony,
I can see that we share similar interests and outlooks
Looks like we both agree
Seems like we’re in agreement
On what to do,
We have similar thoughts on our future and actions
And I like it, how about you?
I’m personally content with that, are you as well?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAROLINE KAWA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ronaldunkel2681
Great cool album with English “Rose” Annie Ross. Once a member of the swingin’ “Lamert, Hendriks & Ross” Jazz-singing group. A kind of front-runner for the “Manhattan Transfers”. I’ve go a few of her LP’s, and worth checking out.. Charming, natural voice that suits Gerry’s bari. Nice upload; should have been the whole album, but alas. Enjoy this folks & Cheers!
@henridelagardere264
The song itself is one of those great vehicles to be doing updates on, others that come to mind are "Nancy", "You're the Top", "My Favorite Things" and list songs in general. People ought to buy the whole album, and I'd recommend all LH&R albums (as well as the LH&B ones for that matter). The lyrics of Jon Hendricks are borderline genius and the delivery nothing short of stupendous. And listeners can learn so much from their vocalese and the original solos they're based on. Truly spectacular stuff, and Annie's "trumpet" parts were something else, what control! And, as you may have noticed, Henry Grimes is on bass. He really did get around way back then, astonishingly diverse discography containing several milestone recordings. I saw him live the year he resurfaced, and he seemed quite apathetic. He had regained his chops, though, at subsequent gigs, that is if you considered his advanced age. Henry, Annie and Dave Bailey are still alive, 85, 90 and 94 years old. Remnants of a vivid scene long gone. I always hope that old age has been reasonably good to them so far. They created worlds of unheard joys for us, and they deserve only the best that nature has to offer. At least they can be assured of our love and appreciation.
@ronaldunkel2681
Henri de Lagardère Great voice. After she left LH&R she took up acting, but eventually started to recorded a few solo albums. Never saw Henri Grimes, but i’ve got a few albums with him on it. Yes, old age is creeping up dear Henri. I’ll be 80 soon and still going strong. But the mind is still young (niet kinds) whilst the bones are here and there starting to become creaky. Good talking to you & Cheers!
@cjpatz
Can’t believe she was on Superman 3 as Vera. RIP🙏
@ronaldunkel2681
@@cjpatz Didn’t know that. Lovely (girlish-like) smooth voice. G’day & Cheers!