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
Lover Man
gerry mulligan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I long to try something I never had
Never had no kissing
Oh, what I've been missing
Lover man, oh, where can you be
The night is cold and I'm so alone
I'd give my soul just to call you my own
But no one to love me
Lover man, oh, where can you be
I've heard it said
That the thrill of romance
Can be like a heavenly dream
I go to bed with a prayer
That you'll make love to me
Strange as it seems
Someday we'll meet
And you'll dry all my tears
Then whisper sweet
Little things in my ear
Hugging and a kissing
Oh, what we've been missing
Lover man, oh, where can you be
I've heard it said
That the thrill of romance
Can be like a heavenly dream
I go to bed with a prayer
That you'll make love to me
Strange as it seems
Someday we'll meet
And you'll dry all my tears
Then whisper sweet
Little things in my ear
Hugging and a kissing
Oh, what we've been missing
Lover man, oh, where can you be
Gerry Mulligan's "Lover Man" is a poignant and melancholic song about longing for love. The lyrics convey a sense of desperation and yearning, as the singer expresses sadness and loneliness, and dreams of the love he has never experienced. The song captures the emotions of someone who is alone and in search of true love. The singer's plea to his lover man to come and rescue him from his loneliness is heartfelt and sincere.
In the first verse, the singer expresses his feelings of sadness and restlessness. He longs to experience new things and to be kissed by someone, but he has never had the opportunity. He expresses his desperation by asking "Lover man, oh, where can you be?". In the second verse, he talks about how he is alone and yearning for love. He has the moon above him, but no one to love him. He begs his lover man to come and rescue him from his loneliness and to make him whole.
The song's message is one of hope and romantic longing. The singer believes that someday he will meet his lover man who will dry his tears and fill his heart with love. The song is a classic example of Mulligan's unique and expressive style of jazz, combining a range of emotions and influences to create a work that is both beautiful and powerful.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know why but I'm feeling so sad
I am presently feeling extremely sad and down but I cannot understand why.
I long to try something I never had
I am yearning to experience something unexplored that I've never felt before.
Never had no kissing
I have never had the pleasure of kissing someone before.
Oh, what I've been missing
I wonder about all the things I've missed out on because I've never experienced them.
Lover man, oh, where can you be
I desire to find my lover who I'm yet to meet.
The night is cold and I'm so alone
I find myself lonely and cold due to the absence of any companionship.
I'd give my soul just to call you my own
My desire for you is so strong that I am willing to give up anything just to have you by my side.
Got a moon above me
There might be a moon in the sky, but it doesn't make me feel any less lonely.
But no one to love me
Despite there being a moon in the sky, I have no one special to share it with.
Lover man, oh, where can you be
I long to find my lover and share my life with them.
I've heard it said
I have listened to people talking about
That the thrill of romance
The excitement of love
Can be like a heavenly dream
Can feel like a blissful dream-like experience.
I go to bed with a prayer
Before bed, I close my eyes and wish for
That you'll make love to me
My dream of my lover making love to me.
Strange as it seems
Although it may sound odd or unusual
Someday we'll meet
One day, we will finally find each other
And you'll dry all my tears
You will comfort me and wipe away my tears
Then whisper sweet
You'll speak tender, loving words
Little things in my ear
Into my ear, showing your love and care
Hugging and a kissing
We will share embrace and affectionate kisses with each other
Oh, what we've been missing
There are so many missed opportunities and moments that we have yet to experience.
Lover man, oh, where can you be
I am still searching for my lover and the love that I crave.
Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, MUSIC.INFO FINLAND OY, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind