Gerald Joseph “Gerry” Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996) from Quee… Read Full Bio ↴Gerald Joseph “Gerry” Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996) from Queens, NY was an American jazz baritone saxophonist, composer and arranger.

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

In A Mellotone
Gerry Mulligan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In a mellow tone
Feeling fancy free
And I'm not alone
I've got company

Everything's OK
The live long day
With this mellow song

I can't go wrong

In a mellow tone
That's the way to live
If you mope and groan
Something's gotta give

Just go your way
And laugh and play
There's joy unknown
In a mellow tone

In a mellow tone

In a mellow tone
Feeling fancy free
And I'm not alone
I've got company

Everything's OK
The live long day
With this mellow song
I can't go wrong

In a mellow tone
That's the way to live
If you mope and groan
Something's gotta give

Just go your way
And laugh and play
There's joy unknown
In a mellow tone

In a mellow tone
In a mellow tone

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "In A Mellow Tone" by Gerry Mulligan and Ben Webster describe a feeling of contentment and relaxation. The singer is feeling "fancy free" and enjoying the company of others, allowing him to feel not alone. The mellow song brings a sense of calmness and everything seems okay throughout the live-long day. The lyrics suggest that going about one's way, laughing, and playing all contribute to a feeling of joy that is unknown in any other way. Ultimately, the song emphasizes the importance of adopting a mellow tone as a way of life.

This song encourages listeners to embrace a carefree and easy-going attitude towards life. The lyrics suggest that the key to happiness is to live in a mellow tone, to let things go, and to not take life too seriously. It advocates for the value of laughter, playfulness, and finding joy in the simple things in life. The melody itself reflects the song's message, as it is a laid-back and smooth jazz tune, perfect for lounging and relaxing.

Line by Line Meaning

In a mellow tone
Living life with a relaxed and easy-going attitude

Feeling fancy free
Without any worries or cares

And I'm not alone
Having companionship and not feeling lonely

I've got company
Being surrounded by others

Everything's OK
All is well and there are no problems

The live long day
Throughout the entire day

With this mellow song
By listening to this relaxing tune

I can't go wrong
There is no way to make a mistake or do something incorrect

That's the way to live
This is the ideal way to go through life

If you mope and groan
If you are always sad and complain

Something's gotta give
Something has to change to improve your situation