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
Love Me or Leave Me
Gerry Mulligan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You won't believe me that I love you only
I'd rather be lonely than happy with somebody else
You might find the night time the right time for kissing
But night time is my time for just reminiscing
Regretting instead of forgetting with somebody else
There'll be no else unless that someone is you, you, you
I intend to be independently blue
I want your love but I don't want to borrow
I have it today and give back tomorrow
For my love is your love but there's no love for nobody else
In Gerry Mulligan's classic jazz tune "Love Me or Leave Me," the lyrics explore the concept of romantic independence and a longing for genuine affection. The opening verse, "Love me or leave me and let me be lonely, you won't believe me that I love you only," suggests the singer is at the mercy of their lover's desires, with the hope that they will choose to remain together out of genuine affection rather than obligation. However, the singer is not willing to settle for a relationship that lacks passion, as they would "rather be lonely than happy with somebody else." This sentiment speaks to the idea that love is not just about companionship, but rather the deep emotional connection that comes from being with the right person.
Later in the song, the lines "I'd rather be blue thinking of you, I want your love but I don't want to borrow," highlight the singer's desire for independence within their relationship. They crave their lover's affection but refuse to compromise their identity or personal beliefs for the sake of the relationship. The singer is also clear that they have no interest in finding love elsewhere, as "my love is your love but there's no love for nobody else."
Line by Line Meaning
Love me or leave me and let me be lonely
Accept me for who I am or walk away and let me be alone
You won't believe me that I love you only
You doubt my sincerity and don't believe me when I say that I truly love only you
I'd rather be lonely than happy with somebody else
I value my independence so highly that I would rather be alone than compromise who I am to be with someone else
You might find the night time the right time for kissing
You may think that nighttime is the ideal time for romance and physical affection
But nighttime is my time for just reminiscing
But for me, nighttime is a time for reflecting and thinking back on past experiences
Regretting instead of forgetting with somebody else
Rather than making new memories with another person, I would be haunted by regrets about my past with you
There'll be no else unless that someone is you, you, you
I am committed to only being with you, and won't consider anyone else unless it's you
I intend to be independently blue
I want to be alone and independent, even if it means being sad or melancholic
I want your love but I don't want to borrow
I want you to love me of your own free will, and not because I've begged or plead for it
I have it today and give back tomorrow
My love for you is genuine, but I can't promise that it will last forever
For my love is your love but there's no love for nobody else
I love you and only you, and there is no space in my heart for anyone else
Lyrics © DONALDSON PUBLISHING CO, TOBAGO MUSIC COMPANY, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Luisa Ricci
Two Genius!!!!!