Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band

Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band: Zurich 1960

by Jack Bowers
February 1, 2001

As record bins aren’t exactly overflowing with recordings by Gerry Mulligan’s Concert Jazz Band, almost any new evidence of the ensemble’s remarkable prowess is welcome, even if playing time isn’t overly generous, recording quality is uneven, the choice of material prosaic, and the album’s subtitle, “featuring Zoot Sims,” alludes to only two tracks. If that sounds like a pan, it isn’t. Even when reciting tunes they could probably have played in their sleep, Mulligan’s sidemen were consistently awe–inspiring, an impression ...