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Mitch Mitchell

As the drummer in the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Mitch Mitchell was one of the greatest and most influential rock drummers of the 1960s. Mitchell's style was a blend of the abandon of someone like Keith Moon, with the jazz complexity of an Elvin Jones or a Joe Morello. While no one, including Mitchell, could match Moon for sheer rock power, it's also true that Mitchell had the technique to handle some rhythms and patterns that were beyond Moon's abilities. Mitchell was drummer on all of the Hendrix Experience's recordings and some of his post-Experience solo outings, and was still in his touring band when Hendrix died in September 1970.

Mitchell was a former child actor who had starred in the BBC children's television series "Jennings" before he was even in his teens. By the early 1960s he was concentrating on his drumming, and gained experience in bands such as Pete Nelson and the Travellers and the Coronets. He also started doing some session work, and was a member of the Riot Squad, who had about a half-dozen soul-rock singles in the mid-1960s without getting a hit. He played on some of the Pretty Things' second album, Get the Picture. He was considered for the permanent drum seat in the band when Viv Prince left, but passed over in favor of Skip Alan, whom the Pretties felt to have a more suitable personality.

Mitchell played with Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames during 1965 and 1966, but was fired in October 1966 when the lineup disbanded. The day after the firing, Chas Chandler invited him to audition for the group being formed around Jimi Hendrix. Mitchell beat out a lot of top young talent in London, including the other finalist, Aynsley Dunbar. Chandler later said that, unable to make up their minds, he and Hendrix tossed a coin, the flip coming out, fortunately for everyone concerned (except Dunbar), in Mitchell's favor. Mitchell was not a mere sideman to Hendrix, but an important collaborator. Always changing rhythms, never predictable, he was also flexible enough to bounce off and respond to Hendrix's own original solo lines. This was evident on the very first singles and the trio's first album, Are You Experienced?, as can be heard on the thrilling drum parts on tracks like "Purple Haze", "Hey Joe", "Fire," "Foxy Lady","Third Stone from the Sun," "I Don't Live Today" and "Manic Depression." Axis: Bold As Love produced such great drum tracks as "Little Wing" "Castles Made of Sand", "Wait Until Tomorrow" and many more.

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Album Review

Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live At The Hollywood Bowl – August 18, 1967

Read "Live At The Hollywood Bowl – August 18, 1967" reviewed by Doug Collette


The archiving of Jimi Hendrix' vault has apparently reached the point where what happens on a given release is less important than when it happened. So it is with Live At The Hollywood Bowl--August 18, 1967, the setlist for which is similar to that of his ground-breaking June '67 performance at Monterey Pop, one the late rock icon would soon come to rue as he continued live appearances beyond a short stint in July '67 opening for the ...

10
Album Review

The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Los Angeles Forum April 26, 1969

Read "Los Angeles Forum April 26, 1969" reviewed by Doug Collette


The Jimi Hendrix Experience's Los Angeles Forum April 26, 1969 is an integral component of one of the earliest posthumous Jimi Hendrix anthologies, the four x CD set Lifelines: The Jimi Hendrix Story (Reprise, 1990). Yet it appeared there in slightly truncated form, and until this standalone release, the entire concert has never been issued in its entirety. With various selections having been packaged in something of piecemeal fashion over the years, it is only now, in 2022, complete with ...

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Album Review

Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live In Maui

Read "Live In Maui" reviewed by Doug Collette


It's been quite the circuitous route from the second official posthumous Jimi Hendrix release Rainbow Bridge (Reprise, 1971) to Music, Money, Madness... Live In Maui. And while video component of the 2020 Jimi Hendrix archive release seems like much ado about nothing in its examination of the aforementioned film, the concert content of the Experience reminds how endlessly fascinating is/was the late guitar icon on stage. The audio portion of the package represents the first authorized release of ...

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Profile

Mitch Mitchell: In Memoriam

Read "Mitch Mitchell: In Memoriam" reviewed by Gary Gomes


When the Jimi Hendrix Experience's Are You Experienced? initially appeared, all of the attention was focused on the guitarist--understandable, as this was his group, and the guitar sounds were unique extensions of blues, rock and electronics (the latter particularly) that had never made their way to the general record buying audience (greater displays of virtuosity could be heard from Danny Kalb and Larry Coryell a little earlier, and Clapton, Blackmore and Townshend had experimented successfully with feedback--albeit tentatively--a little earlier); ...

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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Mitch Mitchell

Jazz Musician of the Day: Mitch Mitchell

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Mitch Mitchell's birthday today!

JAZZ MUSICIAN OF THE DAY Mitch Mitchell

As the drummer in the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Mitch Mitchell was one of the greatest and most influential rock drummers of the 1960s. Mitchell\'s style was a blend of the abandon of someone like Keith Moon... more

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Obituary

Hendrix Drummer Mitch Mitchell Dies

Hendrix Drummer Mitch Mitchell Dies

Source: Michael Ricci

Mitch Mitchell, the drummer for the legendary Jimi Hendrix Experience of the 1960s, has been found dead in his Oregon hotel room. He was 61.

Erin Patrick, a deputy medical examiner in Multnomah County, said Mitchell was found dead shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday in his room at the Benson Hotel in downtown Portland. She said Mitchell apparently died of natural causes. An autopsy is planned.

Hendrix, one of music's most celebrated guitarists, joined with Mitchell and bass player Noel ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Live At The Hollywood...

Legacy Recordings/Experience Hendrix
2023

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Live At The Hollywood...

Legacy Recordings
2023

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Los Angeles Forum...

Legacy Recordings/Experience Hendrix
2022

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Music, Money, Madness...

Legacy Recordings/Experience Hendrix
2020

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Live In Maui

Legacy Recordings/Experience Hendrix
2020

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The Jimi Hendrix...

Unknown label
1968

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