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Double Bass Wasn't RED a GREAT Player?

#162
dylanjohnson said:
I was just listening to some clips from an album called Red Mitchell "Jazz Bass Man Live At PJ's" on emusic.com (which incedentally has much of his work for contemporary). Sounds like he is playing cello... Anyone heard of this?
http://www.emusic.com/album/10587/10587290.html
Dylan
Click to expand...

I have it under another name ' Red Mitchell..Cello Debut' Live at the Renaissance' Title: Rejoice!
Red again IMO, is the greatest, along with OP, jazz cellist out there. Nasty, nasty with no intonation issues.
Personell: Jim Hall guitar, Frank Strazzeri piano, Jimmy Bond bass, Frank Butler drums.

It's a burner!
 
#163
So glad this thread has been resurrected! I keep going back to Presenting Red Mitchell. I just love These Foolish Things and have been working playing this tune. That tune is also on Hampton Hawes Trio, maybe some other places. Now, I think I will expand my Red Mitchell collection. Have only started exploring his later work.
 
#171
Hey,
Just got the suprise of my life and I've got to share it with you ....
I have and continue to be a big fan of Mose Allison ( you know Tippo, Mississippi) and have about 25 of his CD's in my collection. Anyway , was looking for a particular track that the guys in the trio want to do by Mose and, I figured I had the tune on one of my CD's and ..... while looking I came across a CD titled " I'VE BEEN DOIN SOME THINKING " and guess who's on bass..... yeh it's RED!!!! WHO HASN'T RED:hyper: PLAYED WITH?
 
#172
I just found a CD at my favourite off beat CD place. It was titled "Red Mitchell" and was part of a series called "Giants of Jazz". Great sound quality and only $8.00! Over 70 minutes of music, all from Red's west coast days in the 1950's. It was on some obscure label called AG promo. Has anyone else ever seen or heard of these CD's?
 
#174
dylanjohnson said:
Thanks Paul! I thought this might be that record but wasn't sure. I will pick it up.. the clips are incredible! Is this the only cello album by Red? Do you think he is playing the cello in 5ths? I assume he is playing in 4ths on this.

Dylan
Click to expand...

He is playings fourths on the cello. Kind of weird for a guy who ends up being The fifth tuning pioneer of the DB.
 
#175
Red Mitchell is pretty much my all time favorite straight jazz player. He is a model of creativity for any artist. Even though he did make a few avant garde lps (Ornette's first, and with George Russell and a Max Roach Lp with Steve Lacy) what is most striking about him to me is that he just pushed straight playing right up to the edges without going "out".
He used interesting re-harmonizations, asymetrical bars of soloing (esp. in duo, for example Red solos for 7 bars, Warne marsh for 3, Red for 9 and so on keeping the form all the while) and many other creative devices.
He was also technically amazing, with great facility through all registers both Pizz and arco.
He was also teacher to some amazing players like Lafaro, Peacock and Dresser.
Both my favorite straight ahead lp and Favorite Red Mitchell Lp is "I Concentrate on You" duo with Lee Konitz.
 
#176
I was just reading the liner notes from "that album"...Jim Hall and Red Mitchell.... and Red said something that I really like;

"I used to think I would be an inventor or research physicist or something, but I found out that there are more "Eurekas" in jazz, and an awful lot of soulful people too."


Here's what Jim Hall has to say about Red, from the same liner notes;

"Playing music with Red Mitchell is a liberating experience. The time and feeling are more than just right. I know Red is going to play a great solo each time. He is so strong I can almost leave him out there alone; he really doesn't need an accompanist.".......

"Red is such a fantastic melodic player that he can play the melody and sound better than most horn players. The length of Red's sound is almost like a wind instrument; that is, the length of the notes-- it almost has nothing to do with the string bass. It's just music coming out, going way beyond the instrument per se."

Finally, Red says it very simply; "Jim is the perfect band". Which is why they were possibly the greatest duo in history.
 
#177
I love reading the last two posts from two of my favorite TBers.....That leaves me with nothing to say.
Besides the guys you mentioned, don't forget Charlie Haden as another Red L.A. kid.
I think that cat had something goin'!!!
Two, very astute posts by two astute players!
 

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