GERRY MULLIGAN
Jeru
Sony
At the time that Jeru was recorded
in 1962, Gerry Mulligan had almost never been recorded with
piano in the rhythm section. There had been a date with
Thelonious Monk and the occaisional track on which Bob Brookmeyer
laid out on trombone and played piano, as mentioned in Joe
Goldberg’s original liner notes. In the famous quartet
with Chet Baker, Mulligan had relied on the near-telepathic
nature of the musical relationship between himself and Baker.
The two could play intricate counterpoint figures that ran
over and under the other player seemingly at will. There
was an airy lightness to Mulligan’s cerebral arrangements
that seemed threatened by the inclusion of a chordal instrument
like the piano.
That, of course, made Tommy Flanagan the perfect
pianist to record this date with Mulligan. Flanagan was
already established as a consummately tasteful pianist,
one whose work, even as a soloist, was in the service of
the music and the group aesthetic, a philosophy that perfectly
complimented Mulligan both as a player and composer/arranger.
Interestingly, two of the compositions here, “Capricious”
and “Inside Impromptu” are by pianist Billy
Taylor. “Capricious” is a bossa nova, while
“Inside Impromptu” is a bluesy, gospel-tinged
number; both styles provide Flanagan with a ‘way in’
to Mulligan’s musical universe. In fact, there’s
only one Mulligan composition here, “Blue Boy,”
which is—you guessed it—another blues.
Jeru came about partially because
drummer Dave Bailey, a friend of Mulligan’s, wanted
to create a setting to showcase Gerry’s ability to
play ballads. It was recorded in a single four and a half
hour session, again a testament to the compatability of
the musicians involved. The sound quality on this 24-bit
remastered reissue is superb, with both bass and Alec Dorsey’s
conga drums befitting from the cleaner sound. Unfortunately,
Sony/BMG has utilized its draconian copyright protection
on this disc, so you have to install a player to your computer
before you can play it. There are other issues associated
with the protection scheme used, but those need to be addressed
outside the arena of a review.
Jeru provides another opportunity
for listeners to hear Mulligan, and important aspect of
maintaining his legacy. A few years ago there were far fewer
of Mulligan’s key recordings in print than there are
now. Mulligan was an important part of jazz both for his
work with Chet Baker as well as in his role as composer/arranger,
a role in which he contributed to the work of Bob Brookmeyer,
Miles Davis, and the sound of modern jazz in general. Many
of the tunes included here became staples of his concert
sets for years to come. It is always a pleasure to hear
Flanagan, of course, and he has several standout moments
here—listen to his work on the Lerner/Weill composition
“Here I’ll Stay.” In addition, the final
track, an elegant rendition of the Comden/Green/Bernstein
song “Lonely Town,” is practically worth the
price of admission by itself.
