Gerry Mulligan

Gerry Mulligan was born Gerald Joseph Mulligan on April 6, 1927 in Queens, New York. His father was an engineer which caused the family to move frequently throughout Gerry's childhood. He started playing the clarinet and saxophone at the age of fourteen and he also started arranging for Big Bands. When he was sixteen, Mulligan was arranging for the house band at a Philadelphia Radio Station. He dropped out of high school in his senior year and got a job arranging for the Tommy Tucker Band.

In January 1946, Gerry moved to New York City and started arranging for Gene Krupa's Band. After this he arranged for Claude Thornhill.

In September 1948, Miles Davis formed a nonet with Mulligan playing baritone sax and composing and arranging three songs and arranging another three songs. The resulting album was titled "The Birth of the Cool."

In Septenber 1951, Gerry recorded his first album under his own named titled "Mulligan Plays Mulligan."

In the spring of 1952, he moved to Los Angeles where he started arranging for Stan Kenton's Band. He was also performing at a jazz club called "The Haig" where he met Chet Baker. They formed a pianoless Quartet which became very popular and produced recordings which were major sellers. This, however, came to an end in mid 1953, when Mulligan was arrested on Narcotics charges and spent six months on an "Honor Farm."

Gerry formed his first "Concert Jazz Band" in the spring of 1960. The band toured and recorded through the end of 1964. After this he teamed up with Dave Brubeck and appeared regularly with him through 1973.

During the 1970's and 1980's he worked at promoting a repertoire of baritone saxophone music for orchestra. He had his compositions played by orchestras throughout the world.

Mulligan's final recording was a quartet album in the summer of 1995 and his final public performance was on November 9th of that year. He died on January 20, 1996 in Darien, Connecticutt from complications from knee surgery.

Earlier today I listened to "Re-Birth of the Cool." This is a 1992 GRP release. The band includes: Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax, Wallace Roney on trumpet, Phil Woods on alto sax, Dave Bargeron on trombone, John Clark on french horn, Bill Barber on tuba, John Lewis on piano, Dean Johnson on bass, and Ron Vincent on drums. Mel Torme supplied the vocals.

The tunes include "Israel," "Deception," "Move," "Rocker," "Venus De Milo," "Boplicity," "Darn That Dream," and "Jeru" among others.

Here's a video of Gerry playing "Satin Doll."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=25yQ9C4E79w

Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Jane Fitzgerald was born on April 25, 1917 in Newport News, Virginia.

In 1934, Ella competed in Amateur Night at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem where she met Benny Carter and in 1935 she won the chance to perform with the Tiny Bradshaw Band at the Harlem Opera House where she met bandleader Chick Webb.

In 1936, Ella recorded her first single "Love and Kisses" for the Decca label. She was performing with the Chick Webb Band at this time and in 1938 she recorded "A-Tisket, A-Tasket." It was an instant hit and sold over a million copies. Ella became famous.

On June 16, 1939, Chick Webb died and Ella took over as leader of the Band.

While on tour with Dizzy Gillespie in 1946, Ella met the bassist Ray Brown, whom she married the following year. Brown was working for the producer and manager Norman Granz who convinced Ella to join Jazz at the Philharmonic. It was at this time that Granz became her manager. She recorded with Louis Armstrong on several albums and she began her Songbook series in 1956 on Granz's Verve label.

Ella continued to record and perform. In 1979 she was inducted into Down Beat Magazine's Hall of Fame. In 1987, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Ronald Reagan and she also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George H. W. Bush. Ella has recorded over 200 albums and won 13 Grammy Awards, including the one for Lifetime Achievement. She made her last recording in 1991 and made her last public performance in 1993.

Ella had been diagnosed with Diabetes in 1986 and as the disease worsened, she had to have her legs amputated below the knee in 1993. On June 15, 1996 she died in her Beverly Hills home.

Ella Fitzgerald is known throughout the world as "The First Lady of Song."

Earlier today I listened to "Ella Fitzgerald at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1975." She is accompanied by Tommy Flanagan on piano, Keter Betts on bass, and Bobby Durham on drums.

The tunes include "Caravan," "Satin Doll," "Teach Me Tonight," "Wave," "How High the Moon," "The Girl From Ipanema," among others.





Here's a video of Ella singing "It Don't Mean a Thing (If You Ain't Got That Swing)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMFIejZgJSM&feature=player_detailpage

Coleman Hawkins

Coleman Hawkins was born Coleman Randolph Hawkins on November 21, 1904 in Saint Louis, Missouti. He started out playing piano and cello and switched to the saxophone at the age of nine. He attended high school first in Chicago and then in Topeka, Kansas.

In 1923 Coleman settled in New York City and joined Fletcher Henderson's Band. He remained with Henderson until 1934. In late 1934 he played with Jack Hylton's Band in London and toured Europe as a soloist until 1939. Hawkins returned to the U.S. and on October 11, 1939 he recorded "Body and Soul" which would become his signature song.

During the early 1940's "Hawk" led a combo at Kelly's Stables on New York's famous 52nd Street which consisted of Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk, Oscar Pettiford, and Max Roach. He later toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic.

In the 1950's Hawkins performed with more traditional musicians, such as Henry "Red" Allen and Roy Eldridge with whom he appeared at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival. That same year he recorded "Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster." Coleman continued to record during the 1960's and his last recording was in 1967.

Coleman Hawkins died from Pneumonia on May 19, 1969 and is buried at Woodlawn Cemetary in the Bronx.

Earlier today I listened to a Coleman Hawkins' compilation titled "Greatest Hits," a RCA Victor release. This is a very nice sampler of the "Hawk" playing with both small groups and big bands.

The selections include "Body and Soul," "April in Paris," "There Will Never Be Another You," "Sugar Foot Stomp," "When The Lights Are Low," "My Blue Heaven," "I Love Paris," and "Sweet Lorraine," among others. There are 16 tracks on this album.




Here's a video of Coleman Hawkins playing "Body and Soul
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfJ5UtPoMcg&feature=player_detailpage

Lionel Hampton

Lionel Hampton was born Lionel Leo Hampton on April 20, 1908 in Louisville, Kentucky. His family moved to Chicago in 1916 where he started out playing drums.

Hampton moved to California in the late 1920's and made his recording debut with Paul Howard's Quality Serenaders. After leaving Howard, he played drums with the Les Hite band and it was during this period that he learned the vibraphone. In 1930, Louis Armstrong asked Lionel to play vibraphone on two songs and his career as a vibraphonist began.

In 1936, Benny Goodman heard Hampton and asked him to join his now famous Benny Goodman Quartet. But in 1940 he left Goodman to form his own Band. During the 1940's and 1950's Hampton"s Band became very popular.

Hamp continued to perform and record actively right up until he had a stroke on stage at a Paris concert in 1991. He died from Congestive Heart Failure on August 31, 2002 in New York City.

Earlier today, I listened to "Live At the Muzeval." This concert took place in Emmen, Holland on May 13, 1978. The Band members include Lionel Hampton on vibraphone, Joe Newman and Victor Paz on trumpets, Eddie Chamblee on alto sax, Paul Moen on tenor sax, Wild Bill Davis on piano and organ, Bill Mackel on guitar, Barry Smith on bass, and Frankie Dunlop on drums.

The tunes include "Airmail Special," "Moments Notice," "Giant Steps," "Flying Home," and "Hamp's Boogie Woogie," among others.

This is a very nice swinging session and is highly recommended.

Here is a video of Lionel Hampton and his All Star Big Band playing "Moments Notice" at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 1978.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4MDTtya4tc&feature=player_detailpage