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
I'm Beginning to See the Light
Gerry Mulligan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never wink back at fireflies
But now that the stars are in your eyes
I'm beginning to see the light
I never went in for afterglow
Or candlelight on the mistletoe
But now when you turn the lamp down low
Used to ramble through the park
Shadowboxing in the dark
Then you came and caused a spark
That's a four-alarm fire now
I never made love by lantern-shine
I never saw rainbows in my wine
But now that your lips are burning mine
I'm beginning to see the light
The song "I'm Beginning To See The Light" is a love song about how the singer is beginning to see the world differently now that they are in love. The opening lines, "I never cared much for moonlit skies, I never winked back at fireflies" paint a picture of someone who was not interested in the romantic things in life. However, now that the singer is in love and has the stars of their partner's eyes to look into, they are beginning to see the world in a different light.
The following lines explain how the singer has never been interested in the afterglow or candlelight, but now that they are with their partner, even the dimmest of lights will do. The singer then goes on to say that since meeting their partner, they have stopped rambling through the park and instead started a four-alarm fire of love. The last two lines in the song are about how the singer has never seen rainbows in their wine or made love by the light of a lantern, but with their partner, their lips are burning, and they are beginning to see the light.
Overall, the song is a beautiful ode to how love can change a person's perspective and how even the smallest things can be romantic with the right person.
Line by Line Meaning
I never cared much for moonlit skies
I never found moonlit skies worth noticing or admiring.
I never wink back at fireflies
I never bothered to respond to the twinkling lights of fireflies.
But now that the stars are in your eyes
Now I notice the stars reflected in your eyes which makes them appear special.
I'm beginning to see the light
I'm slowly coming around to an understanding of what it means to be enchanted by someone.
I never went in for afterglow
It never touched me to witness the special evening mood that follows the sunset.
Or candlelight on the mistletoe
I never gave much value to the atmosphere created by candle-lit settings where people kiss under a mistletoe.
But now when you turn the lamp down low
But now when you create the special mood by dimming the light,
I'm beginning to see the light
I'm slowly coming around to an understanding of the romantic mood that candles and low lighting can create.
Used to ramble through the park
I used to aimlessly wander in the park without any purpose.
Shadowboxing in the dark
Just like how one's punches in shadowboxing have no target, so too did I live without a goal.
Then you came and caused a spark
But after you entered my life, you ignited a flame in my heart.
That's a four-alarm fire now
That small spark has, since then, grown into a much bigger blaze and now burns with intensity.
I never made love by lantern-shine
I never considered the atmosphere of dimly lit lanterns as a backdrop while making love.
I never saw rainbows in my wine
I never saw life as being full of vivid experiences and colors, like that of a rainbow in wine.
But now that your lips are burning mine
But now that I am experiencing the intense passion and fire in your kiss,
I'm beginning to see the light
I'm slowly coming around to an understanding of the depth and richness that love can bring to my life.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG Rights Management
Written by: EDWARD KENNEDY ELLINGTON, DON GEORGE, HARRY JAMES, JOHNNY HODGES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind