"You start way down on a low B flat on the tuba and you have a chromatic scale; you can match the colours all the way up, till you get to the top of the trumpet"

In this quote, Gerry Mulligan is describing the range and flexibility of the tuba and trumpet in music. He starts by discussing the low B flat note on the tuba, which is generally among the lowest notes that can be played on the instrument. From there, he describes that the tuba has a chromatic scale, suggesting it can play all the notes in between the low B flat and the highest note it can reach. Mulligan then compares this to the trumpet, which has a much greater range. He suggests that by playing these 2 instruments together, one can produce a stunning and varied range of colors in the music. In general, Mulligan is highlighting the special and complementary qualities of these 2 instruments in producing a harmonious and dynamic sound.