Gerry Mulligan - Symphonic Dreams 'Entente' (1989) [Jazz][flac

Gerry Mulligan - Symphonic Dreams 'Entente'
Year: 1989
Record Label: Pro-Arte Records
Contributing artists: Erich Kunzel, Houston Symphony
Quality: flac

Liner Notes by Gerry Mulligan

"" "Entente for Saxophone and Orchestra" is the symphony piece I thought I'd never write. And my appreciation is unbounded for the people who helped give me confidence that I could do it, Harry Freedman, Erich Kunzel, Dave Brubeck, Dave Amram, Ron Odrich, Marion Evans, Dave Grusin, Zubin Mehta ("Entente" is dedicated to Nancy and Zubin Mehta), and not least, my wife, Franca.
The dictionary definition of entente is: an understanding or agreement, and that's what I was aiming for, a meeting of the minds between the solo instrument for jazz and the symphony.

"K-4 Pacific" and "Song for Strayhorn" are numbers that I like to do with my Quartet. I scored the arrangement of "K-4" and I am bowled over by the way Erich and the Houston Symphony Orchestra (and the Quartet, too, for that matter!) play it here. I adapted an arrangement by Tom Fay of my "Song for Strayhorn", which is of course dedicated to the memory of Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington.

"The Sax Chronicles" came about because Harry Freedman got tired of my complaining that Bach and Mozart (among others) never wrote anything for the baritone sax. He determined to make settings for some of my melodies in the styles of various favorite composers. There are some jazz elements in "The Chronicles", especially in the Bach, but mostly Harry just lets me enjoy being part of the orchestral sonorities of the various styles and eras. Altogether "The Chronicles" are a sort of revisionist (and imaginary) history of the role of the baritone sax in classical music.

When I asked Steve Vining, who supervised this whole project, whether he intended to include any audience reaction on the album, he assured me that his past experience told him that listeners would rather not have applause on their albums. I can appreciate this I told him, but don't forget, the listener may get tired of hearing the applause, the performer. . never! ""

Gerry Mulligan meets a symphony orchestra on this unusual CD. The Houston Symphony (under the direction of Erich Kunzel) performs the seven sections of "The Sax Chronicles" (compositions of Harry Freedman based on Mulligan themes written in the style of a variety of classical composers), two shorter pieces by the classic jazzman ("Song for Strayhorn" and "K-4 Pacific") and a classical work written by Jeru: "Entente for Baritone Sax and Orchestra." The music fits the category of third stream and could be called jazzy classical music. It's worth a close listen.
~ Scott Yanow

Personnel:
Gerry Mulligan (bs, ss),
Bill Mays (p),
Dean Johnson (b),
Richard De Rosa (dr)
and the
Houston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Erich Kunzel

Gerry Mulligan - Symphonic Dreams 'Entente' Tracks:
01 Entente for Baritone Sax & Orchestra 11:54
The Sax Chronicles, Part 1:
02 Sun On The Bach Stairs 3:18
03 Sax In DebussyΓΓé¼Γäós Garden 3:55
04 Sax In Mozart Minor 2:33
05 Sax And The Rite Of Igor 4:11
06 Song For Strayhorn 6:06

The Sax Chronicles, Part 2:
07 Sax And Der Rosenkavalier 4:09
08 Sax On The Rhine 4:44
09 A Walk With Brahms 3:13
10 K-4 Pacific 7:22