Mulligan also began playing saxophone professionally in dance bands in Philadelphia, an hour and a half or so away. While in Reading, Mulligan began studying clarinet with dance-band musician Sammy Correnti, who also encouraged Mulligan's interest in arranging. When Gerry Mulligan was 14, his family moved to Detroit and then to Reading, Pennsylvania. Mulligan made an attempt at arranging with the Richard Rodgers song " Lover", but the arrangement was seized prior to its first reading by an overzealous nun who was taken aback by the title on the arrangement. When the school moved into a new building and established music courses, Mulligan decided to play clarinet in the school's nascent orchestra. The family's moves continued with stops in South Jersey, where Mulligan lived with his maternal grandmother, Chicago, Illinois, and Kalamazoo, Michigan, where Mulligan lived for three years and attended Catholic school. The young Mulligan occasionally met such musicians staying at Rose's home. Black musicians sometimes came through town, and because many motels would not take them, they often had to stay at homes within the black community. As he became older, Mulligan began spending time at Rose's house and was especially amused by Rose's player piano, which Mulligan later recalled as having rolls by numerous players, including Fats Waller.
With the demands of a large home and four young boys to raise, Mulligan's mother hired an African American nanny named Lily Rose, who became especially fond of the youngest Mulligan. When Gerry was less than a year old, the family moved to Marion, Ohio, where his father accepted a job with the Marion Power Shovel Company. George Mulligan's career as an engineer necessitated frequent moves through numerous cities. Gerry was the youngest of four sons with George, Phil and Don preceding him. His father was a Wilmington, Delaware, native of Irish descent his mother a Philadelphia native of half-Irish and half-German descent. Gerry Mulligan was born in Queens Village, Queens, New York, United States, the son of George and Louise Mulligan. Several of his compositions, such as " Walkin' Shoes" and "Five Brothers", have become standards.īiography Early life and career Mulligan was also a skilled pianist and played several other reed instruments. His pianoless quartet of the early 1950s with trumpeter Chet Baker is still regarded as one of the best cool jazz groups.
Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists-playing the instrument with a light and airy tone in the era of cool jazz-Mulligan was also a significant arranger, working with Claude Thornhill, Miles Davis, Stan Kenton, and others. Gerald Joseph Mulligan (Ap– January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger.
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