Artist: Gerry Mulligan

Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996) 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. His piano-less quartet of the early 1950s with trumpeter Chet Baker is still regarded as one of the best cool jazz ensembles.

Mulligan moved to New York City in January 1946 and joined the arranging staff on Gene Krupa's  bebop-tinged band. Arrangements of Mulligan's work with Krupa include "Birdhouse", "Disc Jockey Jump" and an arrangement of "How High the Moon", quoting Charlie Parker's "Ornithology" as a  countermelody. 

Mulligan next began arranging for the Claude Thornhill Orchestra, occasionally sitting in as a member of the reed section. In September 1948,  Miles Davis formed a nine-piece band that used arrangements by Mulligan, Evans and John Lewis. The band initially consisted of Davis on trumpet, Mulligan on baritone saxophone, trombonist  Mike Zwerin, alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, Junior Collins on French horn, tubist Bill Barber, pianist John Lewis, bassist Al McKibbon, and drummer Max Roach. 

Over the next couple of years, Davis assembled a nonet on three occasions to record twelve pieces for release as singles by Capitol Records, which formed the Birth of the Cool 12-inch album released in 1957.

In September 1951, Mulligan recorded the first album under his own name, Mulligan Plays Mulligan. By that point, he had mastered a melodic and linear playing style, inspired by Lester Young, that he would retain for the rest of his career. 

In early 1952, seeking better employment opportunities, Mulligan headed west to Los Angeles, and began writing arrangements for Stan Kenton's Orchestra. His compositions "Walking Shoes" and "Young Blood", stand out as embodiments of the contrapuntal style that became Mulligan's signature. 

Mulligan also performed as a soloist or sideman (often in festival settings) with a variety of late-1950s jazz artists: Paul Desmond, Duke Ellington, Ben Webster, Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Witherspoon, André Previn, Billie Holiday, Marian McPartland, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Stan Getz, Thelonious Monk, Fletcher Henderson, Manny Albam, Quincy Jones, Kai Winding, Miles Davis, and Dave Brubeck. Mulligan appeared in Art Kane's A Great Day in Harlem portrait of 57 major jazz musicians taken in August 1958. 

Mulligan formed his first "Concert Jazz Band" in the spring of 1960. The membership included, at various times, trumpeters Conte Candoli, Nick Travis, Clark Terry, Don Ferrara, Al Derisi, Thad Jones and Doc Severinsen; saxophonists Zoot Sims, Jim Reider, Gene Allen, Bobby Donovan, Phil Woods, and Gene Quill; trombonists Willie Dennis; Alan Raph and Bob Brookmeyer; drummers Mel Lewis and Gus Johnson; and bassists Buddy Clark and Bill Crow.