Search - Gerry Mulligan :: Sextet: 1955-1956

Mulligan at his best

Joost Daalder | South Australia | 09/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To those of us lucky enough to hear it when its music first appeared the Mulligan Sextet was a sizzling sensation, and I feel it remains that today, though remarkably few listeners seem to know it. The solos were usually far more interesting than, for example, on the earlier famous recordings with Chet Baker: here, Mulligan himself thrusts, "cooks", invents, and builds up coherent musical statements which are both forceful and pleasingly clear and melodious; but Zoot Sims, too, was in similarly excellent form, as, indeed, was true of all the musicians involved, who worked as well in an ensemble format as when featured individually. The "tunes" chosen, too, were very successful and ideally suited to the make-up and freshness of the band. This was not a special "commercial" line-up, but a band that had a real musical reason for existing. Excellent, hard-swinging but well-articulated jazz; thoroughly recommended."

Excellent

Tritone | United States | 06/30/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have a verve songbook CD that has a cut from this recording on it. It's probably the best track on the CD. What an outstanding group."