Blue Mitchell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Blue Mitchell
Background information
Birth name	Richard Allen Mitchell
Born	(1930-03-13)March 13, 1930 Miami, Florida, U.S.
Died	May 21, 1979(1979-05-21) (aged 49) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Jazz soul jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Trumpet
Years active	1952 – 1979
Labels	Riverside Blue Note Mainstream RCA
Associated acts	Cannonball Adderley Earl Bostic Horace Silver Paul Williams Chuck Willis Charlie Rouse Wynton Kelly

Richard Allen "Blue" Mitchell (born March 13, 1930 – died May 21, 1979) was an American trumpet player and composer. He was known for his work in different music styles like jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock, and funk. Blue Mitchell recorded many albums as the main artist and also played with other musicians for record labels such as Riverside, Mainstream Records, and Blue Note.

Early Life

Richard Allen Mitchell was born and grew up in Miami, Florida, in the United States. He started playing the trumpet when he was in high school. It was during this time that he got his famous nickname, "Blue."

Blue Mitchell's Music Career

After finishing high school, Blue Mitchell began his professional music journey. He played in rhythm and blues bands with musicians like Paul Williams, Earl Bostic, and Chuck Willis.

Later, he went back to Miami. There, a famous jazz musician named Cannonball Adderley heard him play. Cannonball Adderley was so impressed that he invited Blue Mitchell to record music with him in New York in 1958.

Joining Horace Silver's Quintet

After working with Cannonball Adderley, Blue Mitchell joined the Horace Silver Quintet. This was a very popular jazz group. In the quintet, he played alongside tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor, and drummer Roy Brooks. Blue Mitchell stayed with Horace Silver's group for several years, until it broke up in 1964.

Forming His Own Group

After the Horace Silver Quintet ended, Blue Mitchell decided to start his own band. He brought in some of the same musicians from Silver's group. For the piano player, he chose the talented young musician Chick Corea. He also brought in drummer Al Foster, because Roy Brooks was not well.

This new group, led by Blue Mitchell, made several successful albums for Blue Note Records. His band played together until 1969. After that, Blue Mitchell joined the famous musician Ray Charles and toured with him until 1971.

Later Collaborations

From 1971 to 1973, Blue Mitchell played with John Mayall, a British blues musician. He appeared on Mayall's album Jazz Blues Fusion and other recordings.

In the mid-1970s, Blue Mitchell became a busy session musician. This means he was often hired to play on other artists' recordings. He played in many different music styles, including jazz, soul, rock, and funk. He also performed with big bands led by musicians like Louie Bellson, Bill Holman, and Bill Berry. Blue Mitchell was also the main trumpet soloist for famous singers Tony Bennett and Lena Horne.

He recorded with many other well-known band leaders and musicians. Some of these included Lou Donaldson, Grant Green, Philly Joe Jones, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Johnny Griffin, Al Cohn, Dexter Gordon, and Jimmy Smith.

His Final Years

Blue Mitchell continued to perform music almost until the very end of his life. He played with the Harold Land quintet. Sadly, he passed away from cancer on May 21, 1979, in Los Angeles, California. He was 49 years old.

His Music Albums

This section lists the albums where Blue Mitchell was the main artist or co-leader.

Albums as Leader

See also

In Spanish: Blue Mitchell para niños