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Person

Gerry Mulligan

Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, pianist, composer and arranger. 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. His piano-less quartet of the early 1950s with trumpeter Chet Baker is still regarded as one of the best cool jazz ensembles.

Also recorded as Gerald J. Mulligan · Jeru

Gerry Mulligan

Gerry Mulligan, ca. 1980s (Photograph by William P. Gottlieb)

William P. Gottlieb · Library of Congress. Cropped and retouched by uploader · Public domain

Name
Gerry Mulligan
Birth Name
Gerald Joseph Mulligan
Born
6 April 1927
Birthplace
Queens, New York, U.S.
Died
20 January 1996
Place of death
Darien, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation
* Musician
Nationality
United States
Fields
jazz · cool jazz · big band music

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museum · 68f19808-1f7b-46d4-bd1d-71aaf0f6b267 · wikidata · Q156535 · wikipedia · Gerry Mulligan

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Institutions cited

Bibliothèque nationale de France · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek

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In this article

  1. 01Biography
  2. 02Visual art and other activities
  3. 03Archives and collections
  4. 04Honours and memberships
  5. 05Notes, references and evidence

The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.

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