Blue Mitchell – Blue Mitchell (Mainstream, 1971)

Blue Mitchell (tr); Jimmy Forrest (ts); Walter Bishop, Jr. (p, el p); Larry Gales (b); Doug Sides (d)

Recorded in March 1971

It seems like most jazz fans still associate Blue Mitchell with Horace Silver.  Mitchell played in Silver's band from 1958 to 1964.  Mitchell's stay in Silver's quintet also coincided with Junior Cook's tenure.  For many, this line-up is the "quintessential" Horace Silver band.  But Mitchell also recorded extensively as a leader, releasing more than 25 albums in his name.

Mitchell's recorded output in the 1970s was inconsistent.  But everything comes together perfectly on this self-titled release, Mitchell's first for Bob Shad's Mainstream label.  (Incidentally, this album is also sometimes referred to as Soul Village, the title of the first cut.)  The music moves between groove-oriented soul-jazz and driving hard-bop.  The band is exceptionally strong.  Jimmy Forrest brings his soulful sound to the proceedings, and the rhythm section is swinging.  Describing Mitchell's sound, Jimmy Heath once remarked, “I think Blue Mitchell was one of the most melodic players of his generation.”  Listen to this music, and it's easy to hear why Heath said it.

More Blue Mitchell
Blue Mitchell co-led a band with fellow Californian Harold Land in the latter half of the 1970s.  Their album Mapenzi (Concord, 1977) is another excellent LP from the time.  Sadly, Mapenzi was one of Mitchell's last albums.  He died of cancer just two years later at only 49 years of age.