"I Didn't Know What Time It Was" is the most generously proportioned performance on the 1957 Verve album Getz Meets Mulligan in Hi-Fi, with four soloists contributing to an extended exploration of Richard Rodgers's beautiful 36-bar AABA' form. Gerry Mulligan opens with two lyrical baritone saxophone choruses at 128 beats per minute in C major, his playing combining melodic grace with the rhythmic buoyancy that made him one of the most distinctive voices in jazz. Stan Getz follows with two tenor saxophone choruses of characteristic beauty, his luminous tone and effortless phrasing turning each chorus into a gem of melodic invention. Pianist Lou Levy contributes a single chorus that demonstrates his harmonic sophistication, while bassist Ray Brown closes the solo order with a full chorus of acoustic bass improvisation that showcases the deep, singing tone and melodic imagination that made him the most celebrated bassist of his era. Drummer Stan Levey provides responsive accompaniment throughout. The Rodgers and Hart composition, from the 1939 musical Too Many Girls, provides a harmonically rich framework for the extended performance. This closing track gives each musician a final opportunity to make a statement, creating a satisfying conclusion to one of the most inventive saxophone summit recordings of the 1950s.
