Coolest Of The Cool

Gerry Mulligan was primarily known as a baritone saxophonist, but was an expert exponent of other saxophones, clarinet and piano as well as being a highly-respected arranger, was one of the giants of post-war modern jazz. He was one of the leading lights in the “cool jazz” movement focused on the USA’s West Coast. In 1952 he began a legendary collaboration with the young lyrical trumpeter Chet Baker, newly-arrived on the jazz scene after an Army career, with the primary era of their professional relationship ending in 1953 when Mulligan was jailed on narcotics charges.

This LP highlights some of their greatest recordings during this time as part of Mulligan’s iconic “pianoless” quartet, initially comprising informal ‘live’ recordings at The Haig jazz club in Los Angeles and at the house of recording engineer Phil Turetsky, and later at the Black Hawk club in San Francisco as well as more formal studio environments. After the first session, which involved pianist Jimmy Rowles and bassist Joe Mondragon, Mulligan developed an innovative piano-less line-up, using bass and drums to make up the quartets, with the pairings being Bobby Whitlock (bass) and and Chico Hamilton (drums), and Carson Smith (bass) and Larry Bunker (drums). It offers fascinating insights into the the way Mulligan and Baker developed an intuitive rapport, and an absorbing collection of landmark modern jazz performances taking from Great American Songbook through to Mulligans own compositions.


Track Listing

Side A

1) BERNIE'S TUNE - The Gerry Mulligan Quartet Feat. Chet Baker (Bernard Miller) 1952
2) LULLABY OF THE LEAVES - The Gerry Mulligan Quartet Feat. Chet Baker (Bernice Petkere, Joseph Young) 1952
3) LINE FOR LYONS - The Gerry Mulligan Quartet Feat. Chet Baker (Gerry Mulligan) 1952
4) MOONLIGHT IN VERMONT - The Gerry Mulligan Quartet Feat. Chet Baker (Karl Suessdorf, John Blackburn) 1953
5) CARSON CITY STAGE - The Gerry Mulligan Quartet Feat. Chet Baker (Carson Smith) 1953
6) MAKIN' WHOOPEE - The Gerry Mulligan Quartet Feat. Chet Baker (Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn) 1953
7) MY OLD FLAME - The Gerry Mulligan Quartet Feat. Chet Baker (Arthur Johnston, Sam Coslow) 1953

Side B

1) MOTEL - The Gerry Mulligan Quartet Feat. Chet Baker (Gerry Mulligan) 1953
2) DARN THAT DREAM - The Gerry Mulligan Quartet Feat. Chet Baker (Jimmy Van Heusen, Eddie De Lange) 1953
3) HALF NELSON - The Gerry Mulligan Quartet Feat. Chet Baker (Miles Davis) 1953
4) SWING HOUSE - The Gerry Mulligan Quartet Feat. Chet Baker (Gerry Mulligan) 1953
5) FUN HOUSE - The Gerry Mulligan Quartet Feat. Chet Baker (Gerry Mulligan) 1953
6) MY FUNNY VALENTINE - The Gerry Mulligan Quartet Feat. Chet Baker (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) 1953

Number of Discs: 1

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