BL’AZZ, Sunday afternoon Jazz and Blues concerts in the Maclean Room of the Bishop’s Palace at Eden Court, Inverness will reach for the stars on Sunday 22nd May, when ‘Nulligan’, a newly formed Highland-based Jazz Quartet makes its first ever public performance.

‘Nulligan’, will play tribute to the music of Gerry Mulligan, aptly named, the ‘king of cool jazz’, who, in the 1950’s in America, changed forever perceptions of what Jazz should sound like and in the process achieved a notariety that rivalled todays pop icons.

The Mulligan quartet (Mulligan – baritone sax, Chet Baker – trumpet, Bob Whitlock – bass and Chico Hamilton – drums) received rave reviews when they began performing at the Haig Club on Wiltshire Boulevard, New York City during 1952.

Famed for its technically difficult ensemble passages and contrapuntal textures performed within the structures of memorable melodies the quartet began a series of recordings that became major best sellers during the 1950’s and together with the work of trumpeter Miles Davis, gave birth to the term ‘Cool Jazz’.

Uniquely, perhaps, three members of ‘Nulligan’ are from the same family. Father, John Sharkey (baritone saxophone), has performed with and led several big-bands and small jazz ensembles throughout Scotland whilst sons, Michael (drums) and Neil (double bass) have both played in a variety of jazz, swing, latin and funk bands during their, relatively, short but emerging musical careers. They are joined by Nigel Mackenzie (trumpet/piano) who, for many years, has been involved in a cornucopia of musical activities throughout the UK and Europe, and together, they have dared to take-on the melodic genius and harmonic complexity that was Gerry Mulligan.

Band-leader/arranger Nigel Mackenzie says “Most jazz musicians I have spoken to, over many years, would like to play the music of Gerry Mulligan and, luckily, I have been able to obtain copies of Mulligan’s own arrangements for his influential quartet, probably written in his own hand. We will be performing some of these along with my own arrangements where I have tried to suggest how this unique quartet might have developed had Mulligan not been imprisoned on narcotics charges during 1953. It is also exremely interesting working with three musical members of the same family who seem to be able to react instinctively to each other and perform as one.”

Proceedings commence at 3.00pm and tickets, at £6.00, are available from the Eden Court Box-office on 01463 234234 or on-line at www.eden-court.co.uk

Source: BL’AZZ