Keith Moore "Red" Mitchell (September 20, 1927 – November 8, 1992) was an American jazz double-bassist, composer, lyricist, and poet.

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 (C-G-D-A, an octave below the cello, instead of the standard E-A-D-G). 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

As sideman

With Billie Holiday With Mose Allison With Gene Ammons With Frankie Avalon With Chet Baker With Louis Bellson With Paul Bley With Bob Brookmeyer With Red Callender With Buddy Collette With Tony Crombie With Bobby Darin With Maynard Ferguson With Tommy Flanagan With Jimmy Giuffre With Jim Hall With Herbie Harper With Hampton Hawes With Paul Horn 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 With André Previn With Della Reese With Shorty Rogers With Dick Rosmini With Pete Rugolo With George Russell With Bud Shank With Zoot Sims With Frank Sinatra With Pierre Strom With Clark Terry With Cal Tjader With Ben Webster With Magni Wentzel With Joe Sample