Red Mitchell


Keith Moore "Red" Mitchell was an American jazz double-bassist, composer, lyricist, and poet.
WWW Official Site

Biography

Mitchell was born in New York City. His younger brother, Whitey Mitchell, also became a jazz bassist.
Mitchell was raised in New Jersey by a father who was an engineer and loved music, and a mother who loved poetry. His first instruments were piano, alto saxophone, and clarinet. Although Cornell University awarded him an engineering scholarship, by 1947 he was in the U.S. Army playing bass. The next year, he was in a jazz trio in New York City.
Mitchell performed and/or recorded with Mundell Lowe, Chubby Jackson, Charlie Ventura, Woody Herman, Red Norvo, Gerry Mulligan, and, after joining the West Coast jazz scene in the early 1950s, with André Previn, Shelly Manne, Hampton Hawes, Billie Holiday, Stan Seltzer, Ornette Coleman, and others such as Mahalia Jackson. He also worked as a bassist in television and film studios around Los Angeles, occasionally appearing on screen. Mitchell also appeared in documentaries about Tal Farlow and Zoot Sims.
Saxophonist Harold Land and Mitchell founded and co-led a quintet in the early 1960s.
Mitchell moved to Stockholm in 1968. He won Sweden's Grammis Award in 1986 and again in 1991, for his recorded performances as a pianist, bassist, and vocalist, and for his compositions and poetic song lyrics.
During this period, Mitchell performed and/or recorded with Clark Terry, Lee Konitz, Herb Ellis, Jim Hall, Joe Pass, Kenny Barron, Hank Jones, Ben Webster, Bill Mays, Warne Marsh, Jimmy Rowles, Phil Woods, Roger Kellaway, Putte Wickman and others. He frequently collaborated in duos, most notably with pianist Kellaway after the mid-1980s.
The Swedish government awarded Mitchell the Illis quorum in 1992.
Returning to the United States in early 1992, Mitchell settled in Oregon, where he died of a stroke at age 65 on November 8, 1992.
A collection of his poetry was published posthumously. His widow is preparing a biography.

Technique and playing style

Mitchell used standard tuning during the 1950s and for the first half of the 1960s, and produced sound similar to his professional jazz bass peers. However, "in 1966 he switched to cello tuning on his bass. At the same time, he began adjusting the tone controls of his amplifier to create a soft, unfocused sound in the lowest notes and to emphasize the upper harmonics in higher notes. The result was an airy tone quality that sounded gentle, not muscular. This airy tone and his frequent habit of strumming the strings with his right thumb contributed greatly to his unusual style."

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Happy Minors 10" LP with Bob Brookmeyer and Zoot SimsRed Mitchell Presenting Red Mitchell Get Those Elephants Out'a Here with Whitey Mitchell, Blue Mitchell and André Previn

As sideman

With Mose Allison
With Gene Ammons
With Frankie Avalon...And Now About Mr. Avalon
With Chet Baker
With Louis Bellson
With Paul Bley
With Pat Boone
With Bob Brookmeyer
With Red Callender
With Ornette Coleman
With Buddy Collette
With Tony Crombie
  • Rockin' with the Rockets – 1958 -
With Bobby DarinLove Swings
With Maynard Ferguson
With Tommy Flanagan
With The Four FreshmenVoices In Latin The Four Freshmen and Five Guitars First Affair
With Jimmy Giuffre
With Jim Hall
With Herbie Harper
  • Five Brothers
With Hampton Hawes
With Paul Horn
With Billie Holiday
With Stan Kenton
With Barney Kessel
With Karin Krog
With Johnny Mandel
With Shelly Manne
With Warne Marsh
With Gil Mellé
With Jack Montrose
With Gerry Mulligan
With Bill Perkins and Richie Kamuca
  • Tenors Head-On
With André Previn
With Della ReeseI Gotta Be Me...This Trip Out
With Shorty Rogers
With Dick Rosmini
With Pete Rugolo
With George Russell
With Joe Sample
  • Fancy Dance
With Bud Shank
With Zoot Sims
  • In a Sentimental Mood
With Frank SinatraCome Dance with Me! Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!! The World We Knew
With Pierre Strom
  • Rallarvisor
With Clark Terry
  • Out of Nowhere
  • Brahms Lullabye
  • Funk Dumplin's
With Cal Tjader
With Mel Tormé
With Ben Webster
With Magni Wentzel
  • ''New York Nights''