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
Rose Room
Gerry Mulligan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A little room where all the roses bloom
I want to lead you into Nature's hall
Where ev'ry year the roses give a ball
They have an orchestra up in the trees
For their musicians are the birds and bees
And they will sing us a song
As we are strolling along
In sunny Roseland, where summer breezes are playing
Where the honey bees are "A-Maying"
There all the roses are swaying
Dancing while the meadow brook flows
The moon when shining is more than ever designing
For 'tis ever then I am pining
Pining to be sweetly reclining
Somewhere in Roseland
Beside a beautiful rose
The ball is over and tulips meet
Their little kisses are so short and sweet
The lilies nod to the forget-me-nots
When they're departing in their flower pots
But all the roses with their spirits high
Remain to love until they droop and die
And dear, why shouldn't it be
Just so with you and with me
In sunny Roseland, where summer breezes are playing
Where the honey bees are "A-Maying"
There all the roses are swaying
Dancing while the meadow brook flows
The moon when shining is more than ever designing
For 'tis ever then I am pining
Pining to be sweetly reclining
Somewhere in Roseland
Beside a beautiful rose
The song Rose Room, written by Art Hickman and Harry Williams, is a musical depiction of a beautiful, idyllic garden filled with blooming roses. Gerry Mulligan’s rendition of the song adds a tender and romantic touch to the lyrics. The lyrics take the listener through a journey in nature's hall where the annual rose ball takes place. The singer speaks of wanting to take his love to a small room in the garden, introducing her to the beauty of the natural world. The "orchestra" in this garden is made up of the various creatures of nature - the birds and the bees - who serenade the couple as they stroll through the garden.
As they continue along, the lyrics liken the beauty of the roses in the garden to a lovely lady. They describe how the roses sway and dance in the summer breeze, and how the moon shines brighter in Roseland, evoking romantic longing. The ball with the tulips and lilies eventually ends, but the roses remain, still standing tall and beautifully adorning the garden.
Overall, the lyrics of Rose Room are a romantic ode to the beauty of nature and the joy and happiness that can be found in it. The song is a reminder of the importance of taking the time to appreciate the simple things in life, and to pause and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us all.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to take you to a little room
I desire to bring you to a small space
A little room where all the roses bloom
A cramped chamber filled with blooming roses
I want to lead you into Nature's hall
I wish to guide you to a place of nature's beauty
Where ev'ry year the roses give a ball
A place where annual rose celebrations are held
They have an orchestra up in the trees
Birds and bees create music for the events
For their musicians are the birds and bees
The performers at the ball are nature's creatures
And they will sing us a song
A melody will be sung to us
As we are strolling along
As we enjoy a leisurely walk
In sunny Roseland, where summer breezes are playing
A sunny place with warm winds blowing
Where the honey bees are "A-Maying"
Where bees are buzzing from flower to flower
There all the roses are swaying
All the roses dance in the gentle winds
Dancing while the meadow brook flows
As the stream meanders nearby
The moon when shining is more than ever designing
The moon is especially radiant
For 'tis ever then I am pining
It is then that I long for something
Pining to be sweetly reclining
A desire to relax and enjoy
Somewhere in Roseland
Anywhere in this idyllic place
Beside a beautiful rose
Next to a magnificent flower
The ball is over and tulips meet
The festivities have ended and tulips appear
Their little kisses are so short and sweet
Tulips briefly and sweetly touch each other
The lilies nod to the forget-me-nots
Lilies bow to the forget-me-nots
When they're departing in their flower pots
As they exit in separate vessels
But all the roses with their spirits high
The roses remain with happy moods
Remain to love until they droop and die
Continuing to love until the end of their lives
And dear, why shouldn't it be
Why should we not feel the same?
Just so with you and with me
A parallel to our own love story
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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