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
let's fall in love
Gerry Mulligan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maybe I am living in the past
But when I meet the right one
I know that I'll be true
My first love will be the last
When I fall in love it will be forever
Or I'll never fall in love
Love is ended before it began
And too many moonlight kisses
Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun
When I give my heart it will be completely
Or I'll never, never, never give my heart
And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too
Is when I give my heart to you
The lyrics of Gerry Mulligan & Stan Getz's song Let's Fall In Love carry a timeless message about the importance of finding true love and committing to it fully. The opening lines "Maybe I'm old fashioned, feeling as I do, maybe I am living in the past" express the singer's awareness that their view of love may be considered old-fashioned in a world where relationships are often fleeting and temporary.
The lyrics go on to describe the singer's desire for a lasting love, emphasizing that their heart will only belong to the right person. "When I fall in love, it will be forever or I'll never fall in love" reveals the singer's unwillingness to settle for less than a true and lasting heart connection. The line "And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too is when I give my heart to you" perfectly summarizes the singer's ultimate goal: to find someone who shares their views on love and is willing to commit to a lasting relationship.
Overall, the lyrics of Let's Fall In Love promote the value of genuine connection and commitment in a world where love is often seen as temporary and disposable.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe I'm old fashioned, feeling as I do
Perhaps my views are outdated, but I truly believe in love.
Maybe I am living in the past
I hold traditional values and beliefs when it comes to romance.
But when I meet the right one
When I find my true love,
I know that I'll be true
I will be faithful and devoted to them.
My first love will be the last
I will cherish and love my partner forever, from our first meeting until the end of time.
When I fall in love it will be forever
My love is genuine and everlasting.
Or I'll never fall in love
I won't settle for anything less than true love.
In a restless world like this is
In this fast-paced, constantly changing world,
Love is ended before it began
Many relationships end before they even truly start.
And too many moonlight kisses
Even the sweetest moments, such as kisses under the moonlight,
Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun
Can lose their magic and fade away with time.
When I give my heart it will be completely
When I love, I give my all and hold nothing back.
Or I'll never, never, never give my heart
I won't risk my heart unless it's for true love.
And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too
When I'm certain that you love me in the same way,
Is when I give my heart to you
That's when I'll open up my heart to you completely.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Edward Heyman, Victor Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sher Moore
I simply love these two together and on their own . . . this piece makes me smile. So good!
Ralph & Emy M
excellent piano accompaniment by Lou Levy