Red Mitchell
| Red Mitchell | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Keith Moore Mitchell |
| Born |
September 20, 1927 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | November 8, 1992 (aged 65) Salem, Oregon |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instruments | Bass |
| Labels | Bethlehem, Contemporary, Atlantic, Mercury, Sonet, SteepleChase, Artists House, All Life, Enja |
| Website | www |
Keith Moore "Red" Mitchell (September 20, 1927 – November 8, 1992), was an American jazz double-bassist, composer, lyricist, and poet.
Mitchell was born on September 20, 1927, 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 US Army playing bass. The next year he was in a jazz trio in New York City.
Mitchell became known for performing and/or recording 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. He also worked as a bassist in the TV 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. In 1966, Red began tuning his bass in fifths (as the violin, viola, and cello are tuned), and his tuning method opened up many possibilities for bassists.
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