Home » Jazz Musicians » Blue Mitchell

Blue Mitchell

Blue Mitchell was born March 13, 1930 in Miami, Florida. He took up trumpet in high school where he acquired his nickname. After high school, he toured with R&B bands led by Paul Williams, Earl Bostic, and Chuck Willis. After returning to Miami, he was heard by Cannonball Adderly, who took him to New York to record for Riverside in 1958. Mitchell gained a reputation working with Horace Silver’s quintet from 1958 to March of 1964, where his lyrical playing and beautiful tone perfectly complemented Silver’s simplified, soulful brand of bop. When Silver disbanded in 1963, Mitchell formed his own group, employing most of his fellow musicians, with Silver's place being taken by Chick Corea. This band continued until the end of the decade, at which time Mitchell joined the band that was backing Ray Charles. During the early 70s, Mitchell played with a number of artists in fields outside jazz, notably bluesman John Mayall and popular singers such as Tony Bennett and Lena Horne. Resident in Los Angeles from the mid-70s, Mitchell freelanced in both small and big bands, including those led by Harold Land, Louie Bellson and Bill Berry.

Blue Mitchell died of cancer on May 21st 1979 in Los Angeles, California at the age of 49.

Discography

Tags

9
Liner Notes

Lou Donaldson: Say It Loud

Read "Lou Donaldson: Say It Loud" reviewed by C. Andrew Hovan


It's hard to imagine now, but there was a time when the sound of jazz could be heard lingering in the smoky corners of neighborhood bars in every major city from New York to Los Angeles. These ghetto hangouts were on what was often called the 'chitlin' circuit,' a network of predominantly black operated venues that presented organ combos as the norm. Be it at The Smiling Dog Saloon in Cleveland or The Front Room in Newark, jazz and more ...

Album Review

John Mayall: The First Generation 1965-1974

Read "The First Generation 1965-1974" reviewed by Maurizio Comandini


Se gli inglesi hanno soprannominato “The Godfather of the British Blues" l'imperturbabile John Mayall una ragione ci sarà... La malavita non c'entra nulla, per fortuna, ma c'entra tantissimo la buona musica e la capacità di organizzarla partendo da zero, o quasi. John Mayall è nato a Macclesfield, il 29 novembre del 1933. Siamo nello Cheshire, meno di trenta chilometri a sud di Manchester. Il padre è un chitarrista dilettante, appassionato di jazz e di blues e ...

41
Extended Analysis

The First Generation 1965-1974

Read "The First Generation 1965-1974" reviewed by John Kelman


What do guitarists Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, Jon Mark, Harvey Mandel and Freddy Robinson, reed/woodwind multi-instrumentalists John Almond, Ray Warleigh, Alan Skidmore, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Red Holloway and Ernie Watts, bassists John McVie, Jack Bruce, Andy Fraser, Tony Reeves, Stephen Thompson and Larry Taylor, drummers Mick Fleetwood, Keef Hartley, Aynsley Dunbar, Jon Hiseman and Collin Allen, trumpeters Henry Lowther and Blue Mitchell, and violinist Don “Sugarcane" Harris all share in common? They are but a few of the notable ...

28
Radio & Podcasts

Time for Listeners’ Favorites

Read "Time for Listeners’ Favorites" reviewed by Marc Cohn


It's a show with a number 5 in it (show 425 to be precise). So, it's time for listeners' favorites from shows 411-420. See if yours made the list. Toes tappin' mask on! Enjoy! Playlist Gary Burton “Boston Marathon" from Good Vibes (Atlantic) 00:00 Jack McDuff “Hunk O' Funk" from To Seek a New Home (Blue Note) 07:16 Ralph Peterson “Played Twice" from Fo'tet Plays Monk (Evidence) 13:17 Thelonious Monk “Brilliant Corners" from Brilliant Corners (Riverside) 18:02 ...

10
Album Review

Tina Brooks Quintet: The Complete Recordings

Read "The Complete Recordings" reviewed by Chris May


Mosaic Records' spring 2020 release The Complete Hank Mobley Blue Note Sessions 1963-70, the second of the label's box sets devoted to the copiously recorded (and rightly so) Hank Mobley, prompts thoughts of another of Blue Note's singular hard-bop tenor saxophone stylists. Unlike Mobley, Tina Brooks was woefully under-recorded, making just four albums under his own name. But like Mobley, Brooks had an instantly recognisable sound, was a spellbinding soloist and was also a gifted composer. In addition to his ...

18
Album Review

Hank Mobley: The Complete Hank Mobley Blue Note Sessions 1963-70

Read "The Complete Hank Mobley Blue Note Sessions 1963-70" reviewed by C. Andrew Hovan


The music world has changed considerably since Michael Cuscuna and Charlie Lourie founded their boutique reissue label Mosaic Records back in 1983. From its inception, vinyl was still the preferred format, shortly to be overtaken by the popularity of the compact disc. At the cusp of vinyl's recent resurgence, Mosaic briefly got back into that format only to find themselves on the brink of closing up shop. Fortunately, the powers that be have forged on and recent CD boxed sets ...

411
Album Review

Blue Mitchell: Down With It!

Read "Down With It!" reviewed by Matt Leskovic


It's about time that everyone gets down with Blue Mitchell.

During an era when hard bop giants roamed the earth, trumpeter Blue Mitchell was overshadowed by his more brash contemporaries such as Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard. While Mitchell may have not been the most daring hard bop trumpeter, he was unquestionably one of the most steady and reliable.

Consistency is the name of Mitchell's game. His tone is focused and relaxed, and beautifully rounded in ...

Read more articles
1

Video / DVD

Blue Mitchell: Smooth as Wind

Blue Mitchell: Smooth as Wind

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

One more Tadd Dameron album that is a masterpiece—Blue Mitchell's Smooth as the Wind. Recorded in 1960 and '61 for Riverside, the album showcased Mitchell's fleshy trumpet backed by sophisticated and sympathetic brass and strings. Seven of the songs were arranged by Dameron, with the remaining three by Benny Golson. The songs arranged by Dameron are Smooth as the Wind, But Beautiful, The Best Things in Life Are Free, For Heaven's Sake, The Nearness of You, A Blue Time and ...

2

Recording

Blue Mitchell + Sonny Red: '66

Blue Mitchell + Sonny Red: '66

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

If trumpeter Clifford Brown had a musical doppelgänger, it would probably be Blue Mitchell. Like Brown, Mitchell had a forceful, fleshy trumpet tone and a lyrical sophistication on runs and improvisation. There was a bouncy beauty and grace to Mitchell's playing, but he also could turn up the heat to make a point.  On March 20, 1966, Mitchell performed in Baltimore with alto saxophonist Sonny Red at the city's Crystal Ballroom. The concert was produced by the Left Bank Jazz ...

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Complete Hank...

Mosaic Records
2020

buy

Down With It!

Blue Note Records
2007

buy

Stablemates

Candid Records
2006

buy

Similar

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.