Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Gerry Mulligan: Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Big ...

377

Gerry Mulligan: Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Big Band feat. Zoot Sims

By

View read count
Gerry Mulligan: Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Big Band feat. Zoot Sims
The latest release from the excellent Swiss based “TCB” label and their “Swiss Radio Days” Series is Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Big Band – featuring Zoot Sims, recorded live in Zurich, Switzerland 1960. Aided by a surprisingly wonderful recording thanks to the then, state of the art audio equipment utilized for many of these performances, Mulligan’s – piano-less – and somewhat legendary Big Band would normally present a major challenge for an arranger. Ordinarily, the lack of a pianist in a large brass ensemble would indicate a conspicuous gap whether from a rhythmic, euphonic or perhaps from a soloist’s standpoint yet on this recording the listener might pay closer attention to the tricky implementations of chromatics, harmonies and shadings. However, the bottom line here, is that the band swings with sure-fired determination yet the jolting grooves, tricky horn charts and vivacious soloing should keep most listeners on their toes or on the edge of their seats for the duration of this historical presentation.

Zoot Sims’ mercurial yet fiery tenor sax solo on Mulligan’s “Apple Core” is simply mind-boggling while students of jazz drumming should deem this recording as required subject matter thanks to Mel Lewis’ brilliant drumming. If you want a glimpse of a master drummer, than this release should be considered mandatory. Lewis could swing with the best of them, yet knew when to soften his touch, turn up the heat and apply the appropriate dynamics without becoming obtrusive or dominant. Basically, his drumming is near flawless and executed in such a way, that you hardly notice his presence at times!

Without further ado or additional commotion, this thoroughly swinging new release is essential listening and a must for one’s jazz library. Mulligan’s “Concert Jazz Big Band” didn’t garner all of the attention they should have, but 40 years later the artist’s vision and jazz ideologies still sound remarkably fresh and moderately innovative. * * * * 1/2

Track Listing

1) Utter Chaos (Mulligan) 2) You Took Advantage Of Me (Rodgers/Hart) 3) Black Nightgown (Johnny Mandel) 4) Motel (Mulligan) 5) Walkin'

Personnel

Gerry Mulligan
saxophone, baritone

Gerry Mulligan; Baritone Sax: Conte Candoli; Trumpet: Nick Travis; Trumpet: Don Ferrara; Trumpet: zoot Sims; Tenor Sax: Bob Donovan; Alto Sax: Gene Quill; Clarinet & Alto Sax: Jim Reider; Tenor Sax: Gene Allan; Clarinet & Baritone Sax: Bob Brookmeyer; Valve-Trombone: Willie Dennis; Trombone: Alan Raph; Bass-Trombone: Buddy Clark; Bass: Mel Lewis; Drums.

Album information

Title: Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Big Band feat. Zoot Sims | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: TCB Music

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Créole Renaissance
Aruán Ortiz
Two Days at Cafe OTO
Sven Åke-Johansson
Entwined
Karen Borca / Paul Murphy
Thereupon
Fieldwork

Popular

Sessions 24
O'Clock Trio
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.