Gerry Mulligan – Gerry Mulligan ’63: The Concert Jazz Band [Stereo] (Verve Record Club Series Edition)

(AAA) — Lacquers cut from the original analog master tapes by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound.

Recorded in late 1962, Mulligan ’63 marked the final album by Gerry Mulligan’s celebrated Concert Jazz Band, the innovative ensemble he had formed two years earlier. On these recordings, Mulligan leads a 15-piece group that favors subtlety and orchestral color over the sheer force of a traditional big band, expanding upon the cool, swinging sound he had developed with his smaller ensembles. The program features originals by Mulligan, Bob Brookmeyer, and Gary McFarland, with standout solo contributions from trumpeter Clark Terry and guitarist Jim Hall, making his first appearance with the band. Mulligan is heard on baritone saxophone throughout and, on “Big City Blues” and “Pretty Little Gypsy,” in two of his rare recorded performances on clarinet. This Verve Record Club pressing marks the album’s first-ever U.S. vinyl reissue.

* Mastered from analog sources

* Pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Record Technology, Inc. (RTI)

* Numbered Tip on Gatefold Jacket

* Limited to just 2,500 copies

(Above description from VerveRecords.com)