Jeru: In the Words of Gerry Mulligan
An Oral Autobiography

Introduction by Franca Rota Mulligan

[Portrait of Franca Rota
Mulligan with camera], [n.d.].
[photographer unknown].
The Gerry Mulligan Collection,
Performing Arts Reading Room,
Library of Congress.

At the beginning of 1995, I suggested to Gerry that he should write his autobiography. Gerry liked the idea, but as an incentive to take on the project, he said he needed someone expert to be with him as an audience, without interfering with his continuity of thought, but at the same time, to refresh his memory if he lost his thread.

Ken Poston's name immediately came to mind. As a jazz historian, plus his knowledge of Gerry's career, and his experience as a moderator in panel discussions, made him the perfect choice. Ken was enthusiastic and flew to New York to tape Gerry's autobiography in Darien.

The autobiography also covers his early success, his involvement in the New York theater scene with writers and actors while living at the Algonquin Hotel, his years with Judy Holliday and the films in which he appeared and for which he wrote scores. His recollections of these and other experiences will be included in later expansions of this web site, showing his creativity, writing, and playing until the very end.

I am very grateful to the Library of Congress, and to both Jon Newsom, Chief of the Music Division and his wife, Iris Newsom, editor in the Library's Publishing Office for preparing these excerpts from Gerry's autobiography. I would like to thank the many people at the Library of Congress for their contribution and work for this Web site. Thanks also goes to Cathie Phillips whose assistance has been so great during all these years--for her research, coordination, and organization, enabling things to happen in a smooth way.

Franca R. Mulligan