Gerry Mulligan - Nocturne (2025) (Hi-Res)

Never-issued material from baritone sax genius Gerry Mulligan – recorded live in Rome in the early 90s, and one of the strongest demonstrations of Gerry's power at the time! The format is lean – just piano from Harold Danko, bass from Dean Johnson, and drums from Ron Vincent – and tunes are long, and nearly all original compositions by Mulligan – who pushes all these amazing colors and tones throughout the set – almost painterly in the way he approaches the sound, but always swinging too – at that level he first brought to his music when he wasn't recording with a piano, getting even more bite here with Danko's great work on the keys. The whole thing is wonderful – some of Mulligan's best material from the later years – and titles include "Curtains", "Lonesome Boulevard", "Out Back Of The Barn", "Walkin Shoes", "Sun On Stairs", and "A Gift For Dizzy". © 1996-2025, Dusty Groove, Inc.

It is 1992 and in Mulligan’s life the crew cut is a thing of the distant past. Over the years his hair has grown a lot, up to his ears, and a thick beard has grown as well, all uniformly white. Now his face could belong to an emeritus professor or an elderly lumberjack. And yet his gaze, his sense of humor, his style – and anyone who attended one of his concerts can confirm this – everything has remained lively: as if the crew cut was no longer in his head but somewhere in his soul. Furthermore, while maintaining his sense of logic unchanged, this mature Mulligan knows how to get to the heart of things on stage. If he has to swing, he does it with all the warmth possible. Of the compositions from his golden years he gives us versions that bring memory back to life. But it is in the more intimate pieces that we find the art of the latest Mulligan at its best.

Tracklist
1. The Flying Scotsman (6:43)
2. Lonesome Boulevard (5:08)
3. Curtains (9:31)
4. Line for Lyons (9:00)
5. My Funny Valentine (6:53)
6. A Gift For Dizzy (6:03)
7. Take The A Train (5:20)
8. Out Back Of The Barn (9:49)
9. Midas Lives (7:28)
10. Song For Strayhorn (8:05)
11. Sun On Stairs (8:13)
12. Walkin' Shoes (5:34)
13. Rico Apollo (5:46)