Talking about Red Mitchell

[chuck3]

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

I just dropped an email to Diane Mitchell about this. Hopefully, it'll be fixed soon.

EDIT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwfG4XBxoNQ is a track from Red's second side as a leader, doing "Paul's pal" by Sonny Rollins. Some of my favorite Red stuff was done on four gut strings tuned in 4ths in the 50's and 60's.

Red's site seems to be working fine again.

[Paul Warburton]

Yeah, Diane got right on it. She sent me an email back including a tune by a young German bassist, called "Blue Red". I'll drop the file if I can later.

[chuck3]

listening to Red and Bill Mays doing Willow Weep for Me. Red continues to be an inspiration to keep moving forward.

[jsamuel]

Just stumbled across this:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-9IpCbE8Z4

Red totally nailing all of those double stops in the head... the short solo from 1:08 doesn't make much sense, but what can you do with solo bass on a ballad...

[Phil Rowan]

Originally Posted by jsamuel

the short solo from 1:08 doesn't make much sense

Red's playing a slightly embellished version of the bridge to Sophisticated Lady.

Originally Posted by jsamuel

but what can you do with solo bass on a ballad...

[isolated]

Originally Posted by jsamuel

...[b]ut what can you do with solo bass on a ballad...

That's the spirit!

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Phil Rowan

Red's playing a slightly embellished version of the bridge to Sophisticated Lady.

Clear as day. it's a rather "drunken sounding" version because of all the portamento between notes, but the intent and result could not possibly be clearer to me.

As far as "what can you do on a bass solo on a ballad", I would answer "anything you can hear"!

[msw]

As has been said many times, Red was among the most profound jazz soloists of all time. This includes all instruments. All of the slurs and articulations brought a human singing sound and feel to his solos, which in turn made them less bass solos and more just great solos.What I hear in this instance is a great personalized rendering of the bridge melody of Sophisticated Lady. To appreciate what he is doing in this case it is very important to know the song, that Red's bass was tuned CGDA and how he approached music. With complete respect to previous posters it doesn't sound random or drunk to my ears. Just the opposite; it sounds very very musical.

[hdiddy]

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

Clear as day. it's a rather "drunken sounding" version because of all the portamento between notes, but the intent and result could not possibly be clearer to me.

As far as "what can you do on a bass solo on a ballad", I would answer "anything you can hear"!

He looks like he's playing a freaking piano.

It even kinda sounds like it.

[Paul Warburton]

Prolly because he was also a great jazz pianist (and singer and poet) as well.

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by jsamuel

Just stumbled across this:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-9IpCbE8Z4
the short solo from 1:08 doesn't make much sense,

Explanation?

[ugly_bassplayer]

Any suggestions for some of his best sideman work??
I need to get more familiar with Mr Mitchell.

The more suggestions the better.

Thank you.

[ugly_bassplayer]

no suggestions at all......

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Concord-Duo-Se.../dp/B0000006LU

[Phil Rowan]

Originally Posted by ugly_bassplayer

no suggestions at all......

One must give one's queries time to develop, ugly_bassplayer-san.

[msw]

Year Title
1954

Red Norvo Trio [Prestige] Original Jazz Classics

1955
Happy Minor Bethlehem High Fidelity
1955

Red Mitchell Avenue (Rhino) / Rhino
(1)
1956
Jam for Your Bread Bethlehem High Fidelity

1957

Presenting Red Mitchell OJC / Riverside

1957
Five Brothers Tampa

1961
Rejoice Pacific Jazz

1961

Hear Ye! Collectables

1969

One Long String Sunnyside

1971
Red Mitchell Meets Guido Manusardi Pausa Records
1973
Two Way Conversation Emarcy

1976

Chocolate Cadillac SteepleChase / Steeplechase
1976
Blues for a Crushed Soul Sonet
1979
Sketches from Bamboo Moers

1980
Home Cookin' Phontastic

1980
Hot House Storyville

1982
When I'm Singing Enja
1983

Simple Isn't Easy Sunnyside

1985

Home Suite Caprice Records

1986

To Duke & Basie Enja

1986

The Red Barron Duo Storyville

1988
A Declaration of Interdependence Four Leaf Clover Records

1990

Trio Capri
1992

Live at Salishan Capri

1992

We All Hope Sintez

1995

Live in Stockholm Dragon

1995

Evolution Dragon

1998

Red Mitchell-Warne Marsh Big Two, Vol. 2 Storyville
(1)
2004

Bass Club King

2005

Live at Port Townsend Challenge Records
2008

Stockholm '81 Gazell / Gazell Productions


Big Two Storyville
(1)

Complete Recordings American Jazz Classics

Remembering Red Jam


Talking Capri

[Phil Rowan]

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

I like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Concord-Duo-Se.../dp/B0000006LU

That there's a nice album, I says.

[Mark Carlsen]

Originally Posted by msw

Year Title
1954

Red Norvo Trio [Prestige] Original Jazz Classics

1955
Happy Minor Bethlehem High Fidelity
1955

Red Mitchell Avenue (Rhino) / Rhino
(1)
1956
Jam for Your Bread Bethlehem High Fidelity

1957

Presenting Red Mitchell OJC / Riverside

1957
Five Brothers Tampa

1961
Rejoice Pacific Jazz

1961

Hear Ye! Collectables

1969

One Long String Sunnyside

1971
Red Mitchell Meets Guido Manusardi Pausa Records
1973
Two Way Conversation Emarcy

1976

Chocolate Cadillac SteepleChase / Steeplechase
1976
Blues for a Crushed Soul Sonet
1979
Sketches from Bamboo Moers

1980
Home Cookin' Phontastic

1980
Hot House Storyville

1982
When I'm Singing Enja
1983

Simple Isn't Easy Sunnyside

1985

Home Suite Caprice Records

1986

To Duke & Basie Enja

1986

The Red Barron Duo Storyville

1988
A Declaration of Interdependence Four Leaf Clover Records

1990

Trio Capri
1992

Live at Salishan Capri

1992

We All Hope Sintez

1995

Live in Stockholm Dragon

1995

Evolution Dragon

1998

Red Mitchell-Warne Marsh Big Two, Vol. 2 Storyville
(1)
2004

Bass Club King

2005

Live at Port Townsend Challenge Records
2008

Stockholm '81 Gazell / Gazell Productions


Big Two Storyville
(1)

Complete Recordings American Jazz Classics

Remembering Red Jam


Talking Capri

Great list !!

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by msw

Year Title
1954

Red Norvo Trio [Prestige] Original Jazz Classics

1955
Happy Minor Bethlehem High Fidelity
1955

Red Mitchell Avenue (Rhino) / Rhino
(1)
1956
Jam for Your Bread Bethlehem High Fidelity

1957

Presenting Red Mitchell OJC / Riverside

1957
Five Brothers Tampa

1961
Rejoice Pacific Jazz

1961

Hear Ye! Collectables

1969

One Long String Sunnyside

1971
Red Mitchell Meets Guido Manusardi Pausa Records
1973
Two Way Conversation Emarcy

1976

Chocolate Cadillac SteepleChase / Steeplechase
1976
Blues for a Crushed Soul Sonet
1979
Sketches from Bamboo Moers

1980
Home Cookin' Phontastic

1980
Hot House Storyville

1982
When I'm Singing Enja
1983

Simple Isn't Easy Sunnyside

1985

Home Suite Caprice Records

1986

To Duke & Basie Enja

1986

The Red Barron Duo Storyville

1988
A Declaration of Interdependence Four Leaf Clover Records

1990

Trio Capri
1992

Live at Salishan Capri

1992

We All Hope Sintez

1995

Live in Stockholm Dragon

1995

Evolution Dragon

1998

Red Mitchell-Warne Marsh Big Two, Vol. 2 Storyville
(1)
2004

Bass Club King

2005

Live at Port Townsend Challenge Records
2008

Stockholm '81 Gazell / Gazell Productions


Big Two Storyville
(1)

Complete Recordings American Jazz Classics

Remembering Red Jam


Talking Capri

Somebody's almost as big a Red Freak than I am, Marshall.

There's also one from Stockholm with Red and Barney Kessel and one from a jazz cruise with Joe Pass called "Finally".
The three records that gave me my Red Jones aren't under Red's name as a leader but great examples of Red before the switch to tuning in 5ths with four gut strings tuned in 4ths. The Hampton Hawes Trio (with Chuck Thompson on drums) Volumes 1, 2 and 3 on the great old L.A. jazz label, Contemporary.
Two fabulous examples of Red's great arco work, that Marshall already mentioned are "Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye" with The Red Mitchell/Harold Land Quintet where the bass is featured as a third horn in the front line of some of the charts. Also the "Red Mitchell meets Guido Manusardi" in which Red bows the head on "God bless the child" that drips with so much soul that I had to have my carpet cleaned upon first hearing.
EDIT: This was Red's final recording with the great Nurnberger bow (or any bow, for that matter) because one night when the bow was laying on the piano, on a break a drunk started conducting to the recorded break music and when Red got back from the break, the bow was gone, as was the drunk. Red never bowed the bass again. He always said that with the bow, he was going for Gene "Jug" Ammons sound on the tenor. IMO, he more than succeeded. Also "Rejoice" that Marshall mentioned above features Red on jazz cello (tuned in 4ths) with Jim Hall, Frank Strazzeri on piano, Frank Butler on drums and Jimmy Bond on bass...........filth city, personified.

[msw]

Thanks, Paul, for the info and the story! Great as usual. As I
mentioned to you in a PM, there is a second recording from
Stockholm in 1974 ( I think the same week as RM MEETS GM) with Guido Manusardi and the Nuremberg bow.
It includes another version of God Bless the Child ( really great
but Red only bows the head and doesn't solo) and a solo on
So What with the bow that is unbelievable. There are some other great songs as well. The CD is called
FORMIDOUBLE on the Splasc(H) label. It sounds to me like Red is
playing w/o an amp on both of these recordings. Red's ability with
the bow, to my ears, is MIND BLOWING!