If trumpeter Clifford Brown had a musical doppelgänger, it would probably be Blue Mitchell. Like Brown, Mitchell had a forceful, fleshy trumpet tone and a lyrical sophistication on runs and improvisation. There was a bouncy beauty and grace to Mitchell's playing, but he also could turn up the heat to make a point.
On March 20, 1966, Mitchell performed in Baltimore with alto saxophonist Sonny Red at the city's Crystal Ballroom. The concert was produced by the Left Bank Jazz Society, which was founded in 1964 by a barge dispatcher and a car dealer, both of whom were jazz fans. The society's performances were family-friendly, with concerts starting at 4 p.m. on Sundays. Upward of 47 jazz performances a year were held, many of which were taped by the society's founders. [Photo above of Sonny Red]
At the start of 1966, the society's concerts were held at Baltimore's Madison Club. But a fire forced the society to move to the Crystal Ballroom before setting up shop at the Famous Ballroom for the next 20 years. One of those Crystal Ballroom concerts recently was released as Blue Mitchell & Sonny Red: Baltimore 1966 by Uptown Records. Mitchell and Red were backed by John Hicks (p) Gene Taylor (b) and Joe Chambers (d), a superb rhythm section.
The album is terrific. The sound quality is excellent, the playing strong and the material smart. The pairing of Mitchell and Red was both interesting and odd. Mitchell had a warm, round tone while Red's tended to be hard and pitchy, bordering on shrill. I've never been a fan, but the sound does make for an interesting contrast with Mitchell.
The six tracks have not be previously released and include a dynamic If I Should Lose You, Jimmy Heath's hard-bop All Members, Mitchell's calypso-soaked Fungi Mama, Kenny Dorham's march-time Blue Spring Variation, I Can't Get Started and A Portrait of Jenny. My only wish is that Red had sat out the last two. [Photo above of Joe Chambers by Francis Wolff]
The year 1966 was a busy one for Mitchell. He recorded on 11 sessions, most of them as a sideman. The two leadership dates were Bring It Home to Me and Boss Horn, both for Blue Note. Mitchell died in 1979 and Red died in 1981. The only surviving member of the rhythm section is Joe Chambers. [Photo above of pianist John Hicks]
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Blue Mitchell & Sonny Red: Baltimore 1966 (Uptown), featuring liner notes by Bob Blumenthal, here.
JazzWax clip: Here's If I Should Leave You, (15:29), which starts abruptly as the tape recorder seems to have been switched on a bunch of bars into the song...
from JazzWax http://ift.tt/28JJnlh
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