Gerry Mulligan Quotes

Powerful Gerry Mulligan for Daily Growth

About Gerry Mulligan

Gerry Mulligan (1927-1996), an influential jazz baritone saxophonist and composer, was a pivotal figure in the development of cool jazz during the mid-20th century. Born on March 6, 1927, in Chicago, Illinois, Mulligan's family moved to Los Angeles when he was four years old, where he began his musical journey as a self-taught clarinetist before transitioning to the baritone saxophone. Influenced by classical music and the swing era of jazz, Mulligan's style was marked by its lyrical and melodic qualities, which would later come to define cool jazz. He served in the United States Army during World War II but was discharged due to a back injury, which allowed him to focus more on his music. In 1949, Mulligan moved to New York City, where he met and collaborated with pianist John Lewis, bassist Carson Smith, and drummer Roy Haynes in what would become known as the pioneering cool jazz group, the Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ). The MJQ's debut album "Dial 'M' for Mulligan" was released in 1951. One of Mulligan's most significant contributions to jazz came with the development of the "piano-less" or "cool" quartet, featuring saxophones and rhythm section. His seminal work in this format is the album "Gerry Mulligan Quartet Plays" (1952), which featured Chet Baker on trumpet and Paul Bley on piano. Mulligan's compositions, such as "Walkin'," "The Flea," and "Line for Lyons," remain jazz standards today. He continued to record and perform throughout his life, working with a diverse range of artists including Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, and Ornette Coleman. Mulligan passed away on January 20, 1996, leaving behind an indelible mark on the jazz world. His unique approach to improvisation, composition, and the baritone saxophone continue to inspire jazz musicians today. One of his most notable quotes is, "Jazz is a perfect blend of spontaneity and discipline."

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The creative process is a process whereby a thinking individual uses socially available symbols to make a private symbolic statement."

This quote by Gerry Mulligan suggests that creativity is a personal, symbolic expression using widely understood symbols in a unique and novel way. It highlights the essence of creativity as an individual's process of conveying original thoughts and ideas through readily accessible symbols or languages, thereby creating something new and meaningful that is privately interpreted but socially understandable.

"I always thought I had a good memory for music until I started writing arrangements."

This quote suggests that Gerry Mulligan, a renowned jazz musician, believed his ability to recall music was strong until he began composing arrangements. Writing arrangements involves complex structuring of musical elements, which requires a different kind of memory – not just for individual notes or melodies, but also for chords, rhythm patterns, and the overall structure of a piece. This shift in activity may have exposed gaps in his memory that he was previously unaware of, highlighting how our skills are often tested more rigorously when we move from performance to creation.

"Music is the space between the notes."

Gerry Mulligan's quote emphasizes that the essence of music lies not just in the notes played, but also in the pauses or gaps between them – the "space" they occupy. This "space" imbues rhythm, emotion, and meaning to the music, making it a dynamic interplay of sound and silence rather than a static succession of tones.

"Jazz is the only art form invented in America."

Gerry Mulligan's statement highlights the unique cultural origin and significance of jazz as an art form. Jazz, unlike any other art form, was born out of the American spirit, shaped by the struggles, aspirations, and creativity of its people. It embodies a distinctly American blend of musical elements from Africa, Europe, and the diverse cultures within America, resulting in a genre that is both innovative and expressive. This quote emphasizes the profound impact jazz has had on global music, underscoring its role as an essential cultural export from the United States.

"The blues are an expression of feeling that everyone who is human can identify with."

Gerry Mulligan's quote emphasizes that the blues, a genre known for its emotional depth, resonates with every human being due to their universal capacity to empathize with feelings. The blues reflect shared human experiences such as love, loss, joy, sorrow, or struggle, making it relatable regardless of one's cultural background or personal circumstances.

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Human Being, Very, Gotten, Transient

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Other, Instruments, Except, Orchestra

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Use, Extent, Great Extent, Orchestra

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Russian, Composers, Tricked, Orchestra

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Cannot, Tenor, Functions, Orchestral

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Always, Been, Rather, Orchestral

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Doing, Other, Like, Attracts

Miles Davis is one who writes songs when he plays.

- Gerry Mulligan

Songs, Plays, Davis, Writes

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Money, Saved, Quite, Alto

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Jobs, Tenor, Were, Alto

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Play, Reason, Mine, Symphony

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

Play, Fact, Available, Accidental

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Music, Fancy, Although, Electronic

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Mess, Devices, Fascinated, Electronic

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Doing, Been, Actually, Recent

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Listening, Began, Coleman, Hawkins

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Way, Out, Started, Baritone

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

Start, Match, Till, Tuba

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

Kind, Like, Use, Innovations

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Always, Most, Means, Closer

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Because, Got, Melody, Wit

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

More, Some, Going, Tour

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Always, Same, Wanted, Shouting

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

Through, Instance, Twenties, Jazz Band

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Want, Only, Still, Horn

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Everything, Electric, Organ, Saxophone

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Success, Field, Pop, Recording

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

- Gerry Mulligan

Some, Other, Albums, Appeared

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