"If you've only got one horn playing, I still want the sense of ensemble"

Gerry Mulligan's quote talks to the value of collaboration and team effort in music. He is emphasizing the requirement for a sense of ensemble, even when there is just one horn playing. Mulligan is recommending that the person ought to not be the focus, but rather the collective. He is emphasizing the importance of working together to create a combined sound. This quote talks to the power of cooperation and the importance of interacting to produce something higher than the sum of its parts. Mulligan's quote is a pointer that even when there is only one person playing, the cumulative effort is still needed to produce a merged sound. It is a pointer that the individual should not be the focus, but rather the collective. Mulligan's quote is a suggestion that cooperation is vital to creating great music.