Gerry Mulligan on Telarc - Paraíso

© Copyright ® Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

Telarc was founded by Jack Renner and Robert Woods, two classically trained musicians and music teachers, in 1977 and was initially focused on Classical music. The label is renowned for its high end audio quality. Telarc subsequently added Jazz recordings with the addition of artists such as Erroll Garner, Dave Burbeck, Ray Brown and Gerry Mulligan to the label’s line-up.

With John Snyder admirably serving in the role of producer on all of them, Gerry Mulligan produced three late-in-his career recordings for Telarc that I’d like to highlight for you mainly because - like fine wine - Jeru’s playing mellowed on all of them to produce some of the most sublime soloing over the course of his 50+ year career.

You hear a lot about what makes a good solo - what to leave out; tell a story; start slow and build the intensity - but learning to do these and other things that make up an interesting improvisation takes time and experience.

Ironically, for many Jazz Masters who reach this point in their playing, there is no record company interested in documenting such maturity.

Fortunately, that wasn’t the case with Gerry as John Snyder was able to muster the necessary resources to bring Mulligan in the Telarc studios to record Paraiso: Gerry Mulligan with Jane Duboc Vocals - Jazz Brazil [CD-83361] in 1993, Dream A Little Dream of Me, The Gerry Mulligan Quartet [CD-83364] in 1994 and Dragonfly, The Gerry Mulligan Quartet [CD83377] in 1995.

In addition to the superb artistry represented on these recordings, Telarc’s timing couldn't have been better as Gerry died in 1996.

© Copyright ® Neil Tesser, copyright protected; all rights reserved; used with the author’s permission.

“Gerry Mulligan discovers Brazil? That might seem an appropriate title for this, his first recording devoted to the richly flavored, intoxicating music that came stateside three decades ago and decided to stay. In the spirit of that most famous Brazilian-US collaboration — between Jobim and Stan Getz — this one finds at its heart a surprising singer and a saxophonist of uncommon invention. Yet on Paraíso (Portuguese for Paradise), the partnership extends even to the compositions themselves: true American hybrids of North and South, for which the legendary jazzman himself wrote the melodies and the Brazilian vocalist Jane Duboc concocted the lyrics.

And while it may appear from his discography that Mulligan has just now "discovered Brazil," the history of this recording belies such Gerry-come-lately suppositions. Like a well-made feijoada, the slightly spicy Brazilian black-bean and pork stew, this album has simmered extensively. Its roots date back nearly a decade, to the first time Mulligan heard Jane (pronounced JAH-nee) Duboc sing, when both were touring Europe — Gerry with his own group, Jane with the Brazilian guitarist/vocalist Toquinho. "I told her then that we'd make a record together," Mulligan recalls, and in the years that followed, Duboc began fitting Portuguese words to appropriate Mulligan compositions.

"But I've always been fascinated by Brazilian music," adds Mulligan; "I've written various things over the years. I always wanted to record with a Brazilian rhythm section. I also wanted to do some of those tunes I'd never played before" — such as the songs by Jobim and Toquinho heard on this date. "So Paraíso is really an overall tribute to my feelings about Brazil and Brazilian music."

It is also an album that benefits from its mostly Brazilian lineup of musicians. Pay special heed to guitarist Emanuel Moreira, a cousin of Jane Duboc, who worked on the arrangements and put together the band, and Duduha DaFonseca, a Brazilian émigré who constructs rhythms as natural and effortless as the songs he composes. (Fonseca wrote a modern classic of Brazilian balladry called "Forgive Me," which has been recorded by Astrud Gilberto.)

Despite the lack of previous recorded evidence, Mulligan's affinity for the bossa nova (and its predecessors, the samba and the chorinho) perhaps should not surprise us. The bossa nova's insistent shuffle has much in common with similar rhythms that Mulligan has often used in his own songs, especially such relatively recent tunes as "K-4 Pacific," "Sun on Stairs," and North Atlantic Run. What's more, Mulligan compositions stretching back as far as 1949's "Venus De Milo" and including later pieces like "Song for Strayhorn" exhibit the carefully measured melodic movement and the slightly melancholic lilt that have long been hallmarks of Brazilian music. The unmistakable Mulligan sound — the dry attack and will-o'-the-wisp tone with which he remade the baritone saxophone in jazz — is the perfect correlative to the happy yearning found in so many bossa nova lyrics.

Gerry discovers Brazil? Actually, on this album Gerry Mulligan simply uncovers paradise; but for all intents and purposes, they turn out to be one and the same.”

— Neil Tesser

ABOUT JANE DUBOC

Jane Duboc was born in the city of Belem do Para in northern Brazil. As a child she was conservatory trained in piano and guitar. She received private instruction from her grandparents, both of whom were conductors.

Ms. Duboc has hosted television shows and won music awards, as well as trophies for her achievements as an athlete, particularly in tennis, swimming, and volleyball. In the Seventies she came to the United States and formed the group, Fane, playing club dates and jazz and blues gigs. On a scholarship to the University of Georgia, she continued her studies of piano, guitar, flute and voice as well as drama and dance.

Upon returning to Brazil, Jane continued in various fields of work. She was contracted by the TV Globo Network for voice-overs and jingles and began her recording career appearing as a background singer. She sang with progressive rock groups, symphony orchestras and jazz ensembles; she also composed and recorded for national and international movie soundtracks. Ms. Duboc has recorded nine albums, some of which feature guest appearances by such greats as Djvan, Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso.

In 1986 she became a household name in Brazil with the release of her fourth album "Jane Duboc" when the song "Hama da Paixno" went to number one on the charts. She broke into the international market in 1990 when her album topped the charts in Portugal at number one. The sweetness of her voice is unanimously praised. She blends artistic sensitivity beautifully with her technical ability.

Gordon Jack prepared the following review for JazzJournal.

GERRY MULLIGAN WITH JANE DUBOC PARAISO - JAZZ BRAZIL

(2) Paraíso; No Rio; (1) Sob A Estrela; (2) O Bom Alvinho; (1) Willow Tree; (2) Bordado; Tarde Em Itapoan; Amor Em Paz; Wave; (3) Tema Pra Jobim; (2) North Atlantic Run (59.56) 

Jane Duboc (v); Gerry Mulligan (bar) with:

(1) Charlie Ernst (p); Emanuel Moreira (elg); Leo Traversa (b); Peter Grant (d); Norberto Goldberg, Waltinho Anastacio (pc). NYC, July 5-7, 1993 .

(2) as (1) Cliff Korman (p); Emanuel Moreira (elg); Rogerio Maio (b); Ouduka DaFonesca (d); Waltinho Anastacio (pc).

(3) Gerry Mulligan (p); Leo Traversa (b); Peter Grant (d); Norberto Goldberg (pc). (Telarc CD-83361)

“This delightful bossa nova collaboration between the Brazilian singer Jane Duboc and Gerry Mulligan brings back memories of the Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto partnership. The repertoire though is quite different because most of the titles here were composed by Mulligan with lyrics supplied by Ms. Duboc. The only exceptions are Toquino's Tarde Em Itapoan and Jobim’s two classics - Wave and Amor Em Paz (aka Once I Loved). 

Jane Duboc too is a far better singer than Astrud Gilberto whose little-girl-lost delivery was sometimes marred by poor intonation. Ms Duboc who is a thoroughly well schooled musician has no such problem. She is a conservatory trained pianist with a voice that is at once arresting in its charming simplicity, calling to mind some of the early singers with Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 like Lani Hall, Janis Hansen and Karen Phillips. 

As for Mulligan both João Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim are on record stating that it was his influence as a writer and player that had been crucial to them both as young composers in the fifties - a time when they were working on what they sometimes referred to later as Cool Samba.

Gerry's compositions adapt perfectly to a Latin treatment and his presence enlivens each track both as soloist and sympathetic accompanist. Some titles seem to have been composed especially for the session while others have been recorded before with different names. Mulligan introduced No Rio in 1975 on a session with Enrico Intra as Rio One. Sob A Estrela was premiered on his 1983 Little Big Horn album with Dave Grusin as Under A Star and Bordado is better known as Etude For Franca from his 1989 quartet album with Bill Charlap. The English title of Tema Pra Jobim is Theme For Jobim. It was first heard on a 1963 quartet date which was the year that CBS did a TV special on Jobim and Mulligan filmed at Gerry's Manhattan apartment. It is one of his loveliest themes and when he and Brookmeyer recorded it they each played a chorus of the melody and nothing more - proving that improvisation is not always essential for a good jazz performance. Ms. Duboc wordlessly scats in unison with the baritone on North Atlantic Run (from Gerry's 1976 sextet album) which is the only one of his originals here not to have a Portuguese lyric.

An all bossa nova set is unique in Mulligan's extensive discography but this collaboration with the highly talented Jane Duboc works really well and is recommended.”

- Gordon Jack.