Richard Allen "Blue" Mitchell (March 13, 1930 – May 21, 1979) was an American trumpeter and composer who worked in jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock, and funk. He recorded albums as leader and sideman for Riverside, Mainstream Records, and Blue Note. He is also credited as the most recorded trumpeter with jazz organ, accumulating 27 sideman recordings in the genre.
Early life Mitchell was born and raised in Miami, Florida, United States. He began playing the trumpet in high school, aged 17,Blue Mitchell: Plays for Lovers, performed by Blue Mitchell, 1930-1979, Wynton Kelly, 1931-1971, Sam Jones, 1935-, Philly Joe Jones, 1923-1985 and Clark Terry, 1920-2015 (Riverside, 2003), 1 hour 2 mins, 13 page(s) with the nickname "Blue". His early influences included Dizzy Gillespie, Fatts Navarro, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, and Clifford Brown.
Career After high school, Blue Mitchell began playing with local musicians in Miami. By Sam Jones's telegram request, Mitchell joined the touring Paul Williams Orchestra in Detroit. He later called this his first tour with a professional band. While on tour in 1952, Mitchell passed through New York, where he made his first recordings. These were later released on the compilation album Quartet/Quintet/Sextet by Lou Donaldson. Mitchell remained in New York following the conclusion of the tour and was hired to join Earl Bostic's touring band from 1952 to 1955.
Following his stint with Earl Bostic, in 1955, Blue Mitchell returned to Miami and was heard by saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, a fellow Floridian. Adderley recommended Mitchell to Riverside Records' producer, Orrin Keepnews, who flew to Miami to hear Mitchell perform. Keepnews, impressed, signed Mitchell to record a string of his own albums for Riverside.
Mitchell joined the Horace Silver Quintet in 1958, playing with tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor, and drummer Louis Hayes, who was later replaced by Roy Brooks. Mitchell stayed with Silver's group until the band's break-up in 1964, after which Mitchell formed a group with members from the Silver quintet, substituting the young pianist Chick Corea for Silver and replacing Brooks with drummer Al Foster. This group produced a number of records for Blue Note Records with some variation in personnel, disbanding in 1969. Mitchell then toured with Ray Charles until 1971.
From 1971 to 1973, Mitchell performed with John Mayall, appearing on Jazz Blues Fusion and subsequent albums. In 1974, he moved to Los Angeles, California. During this period, he recorded and worked as a studio musician in the genres jazz, R&B, soul, rock, and funk, and performed with the big band leaders Louie Bellson, Bill Holman, and Bill Berry, and was the principal soloist for Tony Bennett and Lena Horne.
Death Mitchell co-led a quintet with saxophonist Harold Land, while in California, until his death from cancer on May 21, 1979, aged 49.
Discography As leader/co-leader Recording date Title Label Year released Notes 1958-07 Big 6 Riverside 1958 1958-10Get Those Elephants Out'a Here MetroJazz 1959 with Red Mitchell, Whitey Mitchell, and André Previn 1959-01 Out of the Blue Riverside 1959 1959-09 Blue Soul Riverside 1959 1960-08 Blue's Moods Riverside 1960 1960-12, 1961-03 Smooth as the Wind Riverside 1961 1962-03A Sure Thing Riverside 1962 1962-08 The Cup Bearers Riverside 1962 1963-08 Step Lightly Blue Note 1980 1964-07 The Thing to Do Blue Note 1965 1965-07 Down with It! Blue Note 1966 1966-01 Bring It Home to Me Blue Note 1967 1966-11 Boss Horn Blue Note 1967 1967-11 Heads Up! Blue Note 1968 1968-09 Collision in Black Blue Note 1969 1969-05 Bantu Village Blue Note 1969 1971-03 Blue Mitchell (a.k.a. Soul Village) Mainstream 1971 1971-06 Vital Blue Mainstream 1971 1972 Blues' Blues Mainstream 1972 1972 The Last Tango = Blues Mainstream 1973 1973-03-01 Graffiti Blues Mainstream 1973 1974 Many Shades of Blue Mainstream 1974 1975 Stratosonic Nuances RCA 1975 1976 Funktion Junction RCA 1976 1977-04-14 Mapenzi Concord Jazz 1977 with Harold Land 1977-04-28, -29 Stablemates Candid 1977 1977 African Violet Impulse! 1978 1977 Summer Soft Impulse! 1978
As sideman Year recorded Leader Title Label Year released 1952–54 Lou Donaldson Quartet/Quintet/Sextet Blue Note1957 1958 Cannonball Adderley Portrait of Cannonball Riverside1958 1959 Horace Silver Finger Poppin' Blue Note1959 1959 Philly Joe Jones Drums Around the World Riverside1959 1959 Horace Silver Blowin' the Blues Away Blue Note1959 1959 Philly Joe Jones Showcase Riverside1959 1959 Lou Donaldson The Time Is Right Blue Note1960 1959–60 Jackie McLean Jackie's Bag Blue Note1961 1960 Sam JonesThe Soul Society Riverside1960 1960 Jimmy Smith Open House Blue Note1968 1960 Jimmy Smith Plain Talk Blue Note1968 1960 Jackie McLean Capuchin Swing Blue Note1960 1960 Charlie Rouse Takin' Care of Business Jazzland1960 1960 Horace Silver Horace-Scope Blue Note1960 1960 Bobby Timmons Soul Time Riverside1960 1960 Jackie McLean & Tina Brooks Street Singer Blue Note1980 1960 Tina Brooks Back to the Tracks Blue Note19981960 Sonny Red Breezing Jazzland 1961 1961 Sam Jones The Chant Riverside1961 1961 Philly Joe Jones and Elvin Jones Together! Atlantic1961 1961 Horace Silver Doin' the Thing Blue Note1961 1961 Elmo Hope Homecoming! Riverside1961 1961 Junior Cook Junior's Cookin' Jazzland1961 1961 Sonny Red Images Jazzland1962 1961 Les McCann Les McCann Ltd. in New York Pacific Jazz1962 1962 Red Garland Red's Good Groove Jazzland1962 1962 Horace Silver The Tokyo Blues Blue Note1962 1962 Sonny Stitt Sonny Stitt & the Top Brass Atlantic1963 1962 Sam Jones Down Home Riverside1962 1963 Harold Vick Steppin' Out! Blue Note1963 1963 Horace Silver Silver's Serenade Blue Note1963 1963 Stanley Turrentine A Chip Off the Old Block Blue Note1964 1963 Freddie Roach Good Move! Blue Note1963 1963–64 Horace Silver Song for My Father Blue Note1965 1964 Stanley Turrentine In Memory Of Blue Note1979 1965 Big John Patton Oh Baby! Blue Note1965 1965 George Benson Benson Burner Columbia1967 1966 Joe Zawinul Money in the Pocket Atlantic1966 1966 Harold Vick The Caribbean Suite RCA Victor1967 1966 Stanley Turrentine Rough 'n' Tumble Blue Note1966 1966 Richard "Groove" Holmes Soul Mist! Prestige1970 1966 Stanley Turrentine The Spoiler Blue Note1967 1967 Stanley Turrentine A Bluish Bag Blue Note2007 1967 Stanley Turrentine The Return of the Prodigal Son Blue Note2008 1967 Hank Mobley Hi Voltage Blue Note1968 1967 Lou Donaldson Mr. Shing-A-Ling Blue Note1968 1968 Lou Donaldson Midnight Creeper Blue Note1968 1968 Yusef Lateef The Blue Yusef Lateef Atlantic1968 1968 Cedar Walton Spectrum Prestige1968 1968 Don Patterson Opus De Don Prestige 1968 1968 Jimmy McGriff The Worm Solid State1968 1968 Lou Donaldson Say It Loud! Blue Note1969 1968 Jimmy McGriff Step 1 Solid State1969 1968 Harold Mabern Rakin' and Scrapin' Prestige 1969 1969 Cedar Walton The Electric Boogaloo Song Prestige1969 1969 Charles Kynard The Soul Brotherhood Prestige1969 1969 Jimmy McGriff A Thing to Come By Solid State1969 1969 Jimmy McGriff Electric Funk Blue Note1970 1969–70 Lou Donaldson Everything I Play Is Funky Blue Note1970 1970 Ray Charles My Kind of Jazz Tangerine1970 1970 Grant Green Green Is Beautiful Blue Note1970 1970 Lou Donaldson Pretty Things Blue Note1970 1970 David "Fathead" Newman Captain Buckles Cotillion1971 1971 Stanley Turrentine The Sugar Man CTI1975 1971 John Mayall Jazz Blues Fusion Polydor1972 1972 Papa John Creach Filthy! Grunt1972 1972 John Mayall Moving On Polydor1972 1973? John Mayall Ten Years Are Gone Polydor1973 1974 Louie Bellson Louie Rides Again! Percussion Power1974 1975 Louis Bellson The Louis Bellson Explosion Pablo1975 1975 Bobby Hutcherson Montara Blue Note1975 1976 Carmen McRae Can't Hide Love Blue Note1976 1976 Cedar Walton Beyond Mobius RCA1976 1976 Al Cohn, Dexter Gordon True Blue Xanadu1976 1976 Al Cohn, Dexter Gordon Silver Blue Xanadu1976 1976 Dolo Coker Dolo! Xanadu1977 1976 Dolo Coker California Hard Xanadu1977 1974–77 Sam Jones Something in Common Muse1977 1977 Sam Jones Changes & Things Xanadu 1978 1978 Philly Joe Jones Advance! Galaxy1979 1978 Philly Joe Jones Drum Song Galaxy1985
References
External links Blue Mitchell site Blue Mitchell leader discography at jazzdiscography.com