GERRY MULLIGAN
The Fabulous Gerry Mulligan Sextet (3 CDs) Fresh Sound
*****

Mulligan's classic mid-1950s sextet, with a front line of Jon Eardley (trumpet), Bob Brookmeyer (trombone), Zoot Sims (tenor) and the leader's baritone, was reputedly his favourite of the many groups he led throughout his career. It's not just the great solo strength it had; the instrumentation also offered a considerable colour range for Mulligan, the composer and arranger, simultaneously providing him with an approximation of the full sound of a big band and the flexibility of a small group - both pointers to his later, exceptional Concert Jazz Band.

He took full advantage, not simply in how he used ensemble or solo voices to delineate themes; always aware of the value of contrast, he judiciously packed every track with incident, written or improvised, yet kept the music focused and uncluttered. And he was adept at noodling, nudging and goading his colleagues on; some of the sextet's trademark joint improvisations show the group at its exhilarating best, and Mulligan sounds constantly energised by the company he kept.

This three-CD set, superbly remastered for the best sound yet achieved from these recordings, not only covers all its studio sessions coherently, but also documents the sextet's origins in its live San Diego debut. The accompanying booklet, with contemporary photographs and informed notes from Alun Morgan, adds to the value and enjoyment of a set that must be one of the reissues of the year. www.freshsoundrecords.com Ray Comiskey