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
My Funny Valentine
Gerry Mulligan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You make me smile with my heart,
Your looks are laughable, un-photo-graphical,
Yet you´re my favorite work of art
Is your figure less than Greek?
Is your mouth a little weak?
When you open it to speak, are you smiling?
Not if you care for me.
Stay little valentine, stay!
Each day is Valentine´s Day
Each day is Valentine´s Day
Gerry Mulligan's "My Funny Valentine" employs cleverly worded lyrics to paint a vivid picture of a person who is not necessarily outwardly attractive but who still makes the singer's heart skip a beat. The opening lines "you're my funny Valentine, sweet comic Valentine, you make me smile with my heart" capture the essence of the song's message. The recipient of the song is not conventionally beautiful, but there's something in their personality that leaves the singer feeling happy and content. The second set of lines, "your looks are laughable, un-photo-graphical, yet you're my favorite work of art," further enforces the notion that physical beauty is not the most important aspect of a person.
The bridge of the song features some pointed questions designed to test the recipient's confidence. "Is your figure less than Greek? Is your mouth a little weak? When you open it to speak, are you smiling?" The singer seems to be saying that while the recipient may not be a conventional beauty, he or she makes up for it in other ways. The song's final verse, "but don't change a hair for me, not if you care for me. Stay little Valentine, stay! Each day is Valentine's Day," emphasizes that the singer values the recipient exactly as they are and doesn't want them to try to change in any way.
Line by Line Meaning
Your my funny Valentine, sweet comic Valentine
You are an endearing and amusing person to me, my dear Valentine
You make me smile with my heart
Your presence brings me great joy and happiness that I feel deeply
Your looks are laughable, un-photo-graphical
Your physical appearance may not conform to traditional beauty standards, but that doesn't matter to me
Yet you´re my favorite work of art
Despite your perceived flaws, you are still incredibly beautiful and special to me
Is your figure less than Greek?
Are you not conventionally attractive in terms of body shape?
Is your mouth a little weak?
Do you have any physical imperfections, such as a slightly crooked smile or imperfect teeth?
When you open it to speak, are you smiling?
Do you have a positive and cheerful demeanor that shines through when you speak, even if you have a physical imperfection?
But don´t change a hair for me, not if you care for me.
I love you for who you are and don't want you to change anything about yourself just to please me
Stay little valentine, stay!
I want you to continue being my Valentine and stay in my life forever
Each day is Valentine´s Day
Every day with you feels like Valentine's Day because of the love and happiness you bring me
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lilmazzo
So this is where the sample is from. Amazing 👌
@duckofmoun1847
Une référence !
@user-he9ms6wd7p
지금 미국에 와 뉴저지 에서 새벽잠을 깨서 어제 그의LP를 두장 구해서 유투브 에 곡을 찾아 이곡을 감상하는데 아주 좋습니다...😅😂
@wilfriedwachter2458
Ich habe zu meinem 11. Geburtstag (1966) einen Plattenspieler, 5 Englisch-Lern-Schallplatten und eine Single vom Grabbeltisch bekommen -- und das war genau diese EP des New Gerry Mulligan Quartet mit "As catch can", "My funny Valentine" und "Festive minor"! Zu der Zeit war ich großer Beatles- und Stones-Fan, und meine Mutter hatte keine Ahnung, was sie da erstanden hatte ("Der Typ auf der Hülle sah so ein bißchen wild aus.") Das war meine erste Berührung mit Jazz: Diese wunderschönen, ineinander verschlungenen Melodie-Bögen von Art Farmers Trompete und Gerry Mulligans Bariton-Saxophon haben mich umgehauen!
@johnreifenberg5887
Art Farmer is superb. And one of Gerry's prettiest, moving phrases.
@bloodySunday77
The best cover of My Funny Valentine that I have ever heard. The chords and the arrangement of the sax and the trumpet "talking" to each other and blending so beautifully makes it a masterpiece. Also, it's one of the first jazz songs I adored & tried to learn note by note on my flute something like 25 years ago.
@MrJazzohjazz
one of my favorite solos by Gerry .... wonderful work by Bill Crow .... bought this LP in 60 and sill listen to it ..... hard to believe it is almost 60 years old
@samuelllanos1
Simply, masterful!!!!!!
@jerryj920
Classic. NGO...Never Gets Old. Blessings
@tonytamez3500
I sleep to this. This is so beautiful