Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Richard "Blue" Mitchell, Jazz Trumpeter

Richard Allen (Blue) Mitchell (March 13, 1930 – May 21, 1979) was an American jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock, and funk trumpeter, known for many albums recorded as leader and sideman on Blue Note Records. 

Mitchell was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He began playing trumpet in high school where he acquired his nickname, Blue. 

After high school he played in the rhythm and blues ensembles of Paul Williams, Earl Bostic, and Chuck Willis. After returning to Miami he was noticed by Cannonball Adderley, with whom he recorded for Riverside Records in New York in 1958. He then joined the Horace Silver Quintet playing with tenor Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor and drummer Roy Brooks. Mitchell stayed with Silver’s group until the band’s break-up in 1964. After the Silver quintet disbanded, Mitchell formed a group employing members from the Silver quintet substituting the young pianist Chick Corea for Silver and replacing a then sick Brooks with drummer Al Foster. This group produced a number of records for Blue Note disbanding in 1969, after which Mitchell joined and toured with Ray Charles until 1971. From 1971 to 1973 Mitchell performed with John Mayall on Jazz Blues Fusion. From the mid – 70s he recorded, and worked as a session man, performed with the big band leaders Louie Bellson, Bill Holman and Bill Berry and was principal soloist for Tony Bennett and Lena Horne. Other band leaders Mitchell recorded with include Lou Donaldson, Grant Green, Philly Joe Jones, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Johnny Griffin, Al Cohn, Dexter Gordon and Jimmy Smith. Blue Mitchell kept his hard-bop playing going with the Harold Land quintet up until his death from cancer on May 21, 1979, in Los Angeles, at the age of 49.
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Richard Allen "BlueMitchell (March 13, 1930 – May 21, 1979) was an American jazzrhythm and blues, soul, rock, and funk trumpeter, known for many albums recorded as leader and sideman for RiversideBlue Note and then Mainstream Records.[1]

Biography[edit]

Mitchell was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He began playing trumpet in high school, where he acquired his nickname, Blue.[1]
After high school he played in the rhythm and blues ensembles of Paul WilliamsEarl Bostic, and Chuck Willis. After returning to Miami he was noticed by Cannonball Adderley, with whom he recorded for Riverside Records in New York in 1958.
He then joined the Horace Silver Quintet, playing with tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor and drummer Roy Brooks. Mitchell stayed with Silver's group until the band's break-up in 1964, after which he formed a group with members from the Silver quintet, substituting the young pianist Chick Corea for Silver and replacing Brooks, who had fallen ill, with drummer Al Foster. This group produced a number of records for Blue Note. It disbanded in 1969, after which Mitchell joined and toured with Ray Charles until 1971.
From 1971 to 1973 Mitchell performed with John Mayall, appearing on Jazz Blues Fusion and subsequent albums. From the mid-70s he recorded and worked as a session man in the genres noted previously, performed with the big band leaders Louie BellsonBill Holman and Bill Berry and was principal soloist for Tony Bennett and Lena Horne. Other band leaders Mitchell recorded with include Lou DonaldsonGrant GreenPhilly Joe JonesJackie McLeanHank MobleyJohnny GriffinAl CohnDexter Gordon and Jimmy Smith. Blue Mitchell kept his hard-bop playing going with the Harold Land quintet up until his death from cancer on May 21, 1979, in Los Angeles, at the age of 49.

Discography[edit]

As leader[edit]

YearTitleLabelPersonnel
1958Big 6Riverside
1959Out of the BlueRiverside
1959Blue SoulRiverside
1960Blue's MoodsRiverside
1961Smooth as the WindRiverside
1962A Sure ThingRiverside
1962The Cup BearersRiverside
1963Step LightlyBlue Note, Released 1980
1964The Thing to DoBlue Note
1965Down with It!Blue Note
1966Bring It Home to MeBlue Note
1966Boss HornBlue Note
1967Heads Up!Blue Note
1968Collision in BlackBlue Note
1969Bantu VillageBlue Note
1971Blue Mitchell (AKA Soul Village)Mainstream
1971Vital BlueMainstream
1972Blues' BluesMainstream
1973The Last Tango = BluesMainstream
1973Graffiti BluesMainstream
1974Many Shades of BlueMainstream
1975Stratosonic NuancesRCA
1976Funktion JunctionRCA
1977African VioletABC Impulse!
1977MapenziConcord Jazz
1977StablematesCandid
1977Summer SoftImpulse!

As sideman[edit]

YearLeaderTitleLabel
1952Lou DonaldsonQuartet/Quintet/SextetBlue Note
1958Cannonball AdderleyPortrait of CannonballRiverside
1959Philly Joe JonesDrums Around the WorldRiverside
1959Lou DonaldsonThe Time is RightBlue Note
1959Jackie McLeanJackie's BagBlue Note
1959Horace SilverFinger Poppin'Blue Note
1959Horace SilverBlowin' the Blues AwayBlue Note
1959Philly Joe JonesShowcaseRiverside
1960Jimmy SmithOpen HouseBlue Note
1960Jimmy SmithPlain TalkBlue Note
1960Horace SilverHorace-ScopeBlue Note
1960Charlie RouseTakin' Care of BusinessJazzland
1960Sam JonesThe Soul SocietyRiverside
1960Bobby TimmonsSoul TimeRiverside
1960Jackie McLeanCapuchin SwingBlue Note
1960Jackie McLean & Tina BrooksStreet SingerBlue Note
1960Tina BrooksBack to the TracksBlue Note
1960Sonny RedBreezingJazzland
1961Junior CookJunior's Cookin'Jazzland
1961Elmo HopeHomecoming!Riverside
1961Sam JonesThe ChantRiverside
1961Philly Joe Jones and Elvin JonesTogether!Atlantic
1961Horace SilverDoin' the ThingBlue Note
1961Ray CharlesMy Kind of JazzABC-Paramount
1962Horace SilverThe Tokyo BluesBlue Note
1962Tadd DameronThe Magic TouchRiverside
1962Sonny RedImagesJazzland
1962Red GarlandRed's Good GrooveJazzland
1962Sonny StittSonny Stitt & the Top BrassAtlantic
1962Sam JonesDown HomeRiverside
1963Stanley TurrentineA Chip Off the Old BlockBlue Note
1963Harold VickSteppin' Out!Blue Note
1963Horace SilverSilver's SerenadeBlue Note
1963Freddie RoachGood Move!Blue Note
1964Horace SilverSong for My FatherBlue Note
1964Stanley TurrentineIn Memory OfBlue Note
1965Big John PattonOh Baby!Blue Note
1965George BensonBenson BurnerColumbia
1966Stanley TurrentineRough 'n' TumbleBlue Note
1966Harold VickThe Caribbean SuiteRCA Victor
1966Richard "Groove" HolmesSoul Mist!Prestige
1966Stanley TurrentineThe SpoilerBlue Note
1967Lou DonaldsonMr. Shing-A-LingBlue Note
1967Stanley TurrentineA Bluish BagBlue Note
1967Hank MobleyHi VoltageBlue Note
1967Stanley TurrentineThe Return of the Prodigal SonBlue Note
1968Lou DonaldsonMidnight CreeperBlue Note
1968Cedar WaltonSpectrumPrestige
1968Harold MabernRakin' and Scrapin'Prestige
1968Don PattersonOpus De DonPrestige
1968Yusef LateefThe Blue Yusef LateefAtlantic
1968Lou DonaldsonSay It Loud!Blue Note
1969Cedar WaltonThe Electric Boogaloo SongPrestige
1969Charles KynardThe Soul BrotherhoodPrestige
1969Jimmy McGriffElectric FunkBlue Note
1970Lou DonaldsonEverything I Play is FunkyBlue Note
1970Grant GreenGreen Is BeautifulBlue Note
1970Lou DonaldsonPretty ThingsBlue Note
1971Stanley TurrentineThe Sugar ManCTI
1972John MayallJazz Blues FusionPolydor
1972Papa John CreachFilthy!Grunt
1973John MayallMoving OnPolydor
1973John MayallTen Years Are GonePolydor
1975Bobby HutchersonMontaraBlue Note
1976Al CohnDexter GordonTrue BlueXanadu
1976Al CohnDexter GordonSilver BlueXanadu
1976Dolo CokerDolo!Xanadu
1976Dolo CokerCalifornia HardXanadu
1976Cedar WaltonBeyond MobiusRCA
1977Sam JonesChanges & ThingsXanadu
1978Philly Joe JonesDrum SongGalaxy Records

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