Lonesome Blvd.

Gerry Mulligan | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 7, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: A&M
• ASIN: B000008BU4
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #516,919 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Rico Apollo

2. I Heard the Shadows Dancing

3. Lonesome Boulevard

4. Curtains

5. Ring Around a Bright Star

6. Splendor in the Grass

7. Good Neighbor Thelonious

8. Wallflower

9. The Flying Scotsman

10. Etude for Franca

Editorial Reviews

Master of the bari sax Gerry Mulligan still has some gas left in the tank for this late-career classic. His airy, cool jazz tone permeates Rico Apollo; I Heard the Shadows Dancing; Lonesome Boulevard; Curtains; Ring Around A Bright Star; Splendor in the Grass; Good Neighbor Thelonious; Wallflower; Flying Scotsman , and Etude for Franca . --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mulligan in His Twilight Years, November 30, 2009

By 

dwood78 (Long Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonesome Boulevard: Originals (Dig) (Audio CD)

Gerry Mulligan's one of the best baritone saxophonists, 2nd only to Harry Carney. He had a cool & relaxing tone on his instrument much like Stan Getz had on the tenor sax & Paul Desmond on alto.

Originally released on A&M in 1990, 6 years before his passing, this album shows Mulligan still playing well as he enters his twilight years. The LP starts out with a trip to Brazil with the samba-favored opener. Other upbeat tunes include "Ring Around a Bright Star" & "The Flying Scotsman." The rest of the tracks are either mid tempo like "Good Neighbor Thelonious" (obviously named after jazz pianist/composer Monk), or the laid back easy-listening jazz that he's been known for since his cool jazz days of the 1950s like the title track, "Splendor in the Grass" (the only tune in the LP not written by Mulligan), "Wallflower" (which sounds like it could have been written by either Ellington, Strayhorn or both) or the closer which has a Baroque feel to it.

Also of note is the fact that Mulligan has a pianist here. While he rarely has one in his bands, he uses one regularly in his later years. The pianist here, Bill Charlap does a great job being behind Mulligan, not grabbing the spotlight too much while at the same time adding great chord changes & providing some good solos.

Recent re-issues from Verve have just the original liner notes in a digi-pak & this is no exception. While not one of Mulligan best works, this is still a well done LP & it's great to see it's finally available on CD again.

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous pre-amped, loud, full, clean sound...BRAVO VERVE!, January 30, 2012

By 

Tim Lookingbill "Digital Dude" (New Braunfels, TX. USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lonesome Boulevard: Originals (Dig) (Audio CD)

I have to confess I had done a bad thing. Since I bought this on cassette from when it first came out and couldn't find it on CD (no internet back then), I made a CDR copy from an old 1990 CD version borrowed from the library.

Decided to do the right thing and bought this newer 2009 Verve version on Amazon and I'm glad I did. The sound is phenomenal compared to my CDR version. Verve's recording engineers took it up a notch volume wise. It's beautifully loud and clean sounding. No more raspy, "kazoo" textured sounding high hat drum cymbals and Gerry's high notes are now smooth and silky and the kick bass drum and upright bass hit you in the face like a big soft pillow. No distortion cranked up not that I need to. Saves my amp, EQ and speakers from doing most of the work. Thank you Verve sound engineers. Hats off to ya'. A sweet recording!

This is the only Gerry Mulligan piece I have and love over anything else he's done in the past. It's got a sterling sound with original melody structures that kick ass from a "pop" sensibility outside of regular jazz standards! As far as I'm concerned Gerry cut a new jazz standard with this one. It's the only jazz recording I play over and over again and NEVER tire from outside of my Weather Report stuff.

I have sampled and listened to other Gerry Mulligan pieces and "Lonesome Boulevard" is the best for me. This one is better than "Dream A Little Dream" IMO which I also just bought from Amazon and don't play as often as this one.

4.0 out of 5 stars Still Going Strong, October 17, 2010

By 

John M. - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lonesome Boulevard: Originals (Dig) (Audio CD)

Gerry is in fine full toned form on this 1989 recording with the Bill Charlap Trio behind him. It is not quite in the class with the later Mulligan quartet sessions from this period, DREAM A LITTLE DREAM and MIDAS TOUCH but the book is closed on him. Gerry, who did not record very much during the 1980's is on the comeback trail and was is his initial effort.