The first reason for starting to do the symphony concerts was to play this new piece of mine.

About Gerry Mulligan

Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists–playing the instrument with a light and airy tone in the era of cool jazz–Mulligan was also a significant arranger working with Claude Thornhill, Miles Davis, Stan Kenton, and others.

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More quotes from Gerry Mulligan

You can make a saxophone into an electric organ; you can do everything with it.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

New York is still where I live most of the time.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

It’s true I’ve always been attracted to the jazz band in an orchestral way, rather than a band way.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

In a way, I started out to be a baritone player.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

You start way down on a low B flat on the tuba and you have a chromatic scale; you can match the colours all the way up, till you get to the top of the trumpet.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

I like what I hear other guys doing, but the thing that really attracts me is melodic playing.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

The first reason for starting to do the symphony concerts was to play this new piece of mine.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

I’ve always wanted a C trumpet on top, to have that same kind of facility without shouting.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

Now, the instrumentation in the jazz band and the jazz dance band has gone through many evolutions. For instance, in the ‘twenties the tradition was two or three saxophones.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

In fact, I heard Bird first, and had got well into listening to him. You know, it’s the kind of accidental thing that awareness of a player is: what’s available, what somebody happens to play for you.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

The other saxophones, except as solo instruments, really don’t have much point in the orchestra.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

Actually, it is a fact that I’ve been doing more writing than playing in recent years.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

Eliminating the piano means that I’ve always worked closer with the bass than most players.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

When I began listening to saxophones, I was first attracted to Coleman Hawkins.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

People talk about innovations and evolutions and that kind of thing; I don’t understand about that nonsense. It’s like, all instruments are there to use all the time.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

Only the French, I guess, really use tenor and alto to any great extent in the orchestra.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

So I played alto for quite a while until I saved up the money for the baritone.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

I’ve appeared on some other people’s albums.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

Because if you’ve got the wit, you can make anything into a melody, ultimately.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

The recording industry has changed; they’re enjoying such incredible success in the pop field.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

This life of being a transient human being has gotten to a point when it’s very hard to bear.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

If you’ve only got one horn playing, I still want the sense of ensemble.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

Miles Davis is one who writes songs when he plays.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

The Russian composers, especially, tricked the symphony orchestra into the kind of dynamic, rhythmic thing.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

People are approaching electronic levels in music; although not all of it happens to tickle my fancy.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

The baritone can serve functions that the alto and tenor cannot, in orchestral voicing.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

Then, of course, I played alto and tenor, wherever there were jobs.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

When we’ve finished the current tour I’m going to go back to Italy and see if I can do some more writing.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)

I’m fascinated with the electronic devices that we can mess around with.

Gerry Mulligan

American jazz musician (1927-1996)