Grover Mitchell
Grover Mitchell | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Grover Curry Mitchell |
Born | (1930-03-17)17 March 1930 Whatley, Alabama, U.S. |
Died | 6 August 2003(2003-08-06) (aged 73) New York City, U.S. |
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician, bandleader |
Instrument | Trombone |
Years active | 1960–2000 |
Labels | Stash, Ken |
Grover Mitchell, born Grover Curry Mitchell (March 17, 1930 – August 6, 2003) was an American jazz trombonist who led the Count Basie Orchestra.
Biography
Mitchell was born in Whately, Alabama, but he moved with his parents to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when he was eight. He played the bugle in school and wanted to play trumpet. However, the school band needed a trombonist and reportedly Mitchell's long arms fit the task. He was a member of the school's orchestra with Ahmad Jamal and Dakota Staton.[1] At sixteen, he played with King Kolax's territory band in Indiana.[2]
In 1951 he joined the U.S. Marines and played in a military band.[1] After being discharged in 1953, he moved to San Francisco, where he worked with Earl Hines, Lionel Hampton, and Duke Ellington.[2] From 1962–1970, he was a member of the Count Basie Orchestra. Mitchell had been a fan of Tommy Dorsey, as Count Basie told him he sounded like him. He spent the next decade working in television and movies, then returned to Basie's orchestra in 1980 and remained with it until his death in 1984. Thad Jones became leader of the orchestra, followed by Frank Foster, then Mitchell in 1995.[2][3]
As bandleader, Mitchell won the Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album for Live at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild (1996) and Count Plays Duke (1998)[3]
He died of cancer in New York at the age of 73.[4]
Discography
As leader
- Meet Grover Mitchell (Jazz Chronicles, 1979)
- The Devil's Waltz (Jazz Chronicles, 1980)
- Live at the Red Parrot (Hemisphere, 1984)
- Grover Mitchell & His Orchestra (Stash, 1987)
- Truckin ' (Stash, 1987)
- Hip Shakin' (Ken, 1990)
- Live at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild (1996) with the Count Basie Orchestra
- On Track with his New Blue Devils (Quixotic Records, 1997)[5]
- Count Plays Duke with the Count Basie Orchestra (MAMA, 1998)
- Swing Shift (MAMA/Summit, 1999)
- Grover Mitchell Big Band (Storyville, 2004)[6]
As sideman
With Count Basie
- On My Way & Shoutin' Again! (Verve, 1962)
- This Time by Basie! (Reprise, 1963)
- More Hits of the 50's and 60's (Verve, 1963)
- Pop Goes the Basie (Reprise, 1965)
- Basie Meets Bond (United Artists, 1966)
- Live at the Sands (Before Frank) (Reprise, 1966 [1998])
- Sinatra at the Sands (Reprise, 1966) with Frank Sinatra
- Basie's Beatle Bag (Verve, 1966)
- Broadway Basie's...Way (Command, 1966)
- Hollywood...Basie's Way (Command, 1967)
- Basie's Beat (Verve, 1967)
- Basie's in the Bag (Brunswick, 1967)
- The Happiest Millionaire (Coliseum, 1967)
- Half a Sixpence (Dot, 1967)
- The Board of Directors (Dot, 1967) with The Mills Brothers
- Manufacturers of Soul (Brunswick, 1968) with Jackie Wilson
- The Board of Directors Annual Report (Dot, 1968) with The Mills Brothers
- Basie Straight Ahead (Dot, 1968)
- How About This (Paramount, 1968) with Kay Starr
- Standing Ovation (Dot, 1969)
- Basic Basie (MPS, 1969)
- Basie on the Beatles (Happy Tiger, 1969)
- High Voltage (MPS, 1970)
- Me and You (Pablo, 1983)
With Gene Ammons
- Free Again (Prestige, 1971)
With Joey DeFrancesco
- Where Were You? (Columbia, 1990)
With Al Grey
- Shades of Grey (Tangerine, 1965)
With Eddie Harris
- How Can You Live Like That? (Atlantic, 1976)
With Oliver Nelson
- Skull Session (Flying Dutchman, 1975)
References
- ^ a b Bernotas, Bob (1994). "An Interview with Grover Mitchell: Part 1". Online Trombone Journal. Archived from the original on 18 March 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ a b c Dobbin, Len (2003). "Grover Mitchell: 1930-2003". Jazz House. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ a b Ratliff, Ben (8 August 2003). "Grover Mitchell, 73, Trombonist And Leader of Basie Orchestra". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ "Grover Mitchell, 73; Trombonist Brought New Success to Basie Band". 9 August 2003.
- ^ "Jazz Music Archive". Jazz Music Archive. Retrieved Dec 10, 2017.
- ^ "Grover Mitchell". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- v
- t
- e
- John Duke (Bass)
- Sal Nistico (Tenor Sax)
- Frank Wess (Alto Sax/Flute)
- Joe Williams (Vocals)
- Earle Warren (Alto Sax/Occasional Singer)
- Preston Love (Alto Sax)
- Danny House (Alto Sax)
- Sonny Cohn (trumpet)
- Reunald Jones (Trumpet)
- Neal Hefti (Trumpet)
- Harry Edison (Trumpet)
- Joe Newman (Trumpet)
- Lester Young (Tenor Sax)
- Herschel Evans (Tenor Sax)
- Jo Jones (Drums)
- Walter Page (Bass)
- Bill Hughes (trombone)
- Dennis Wilson (lead trombone)
- Grover Mitchell (trombone)
- Freddie Green (Guitar)
- Billie Holiday (Vocals)
- Buck Clayton (Trumpet)
- Jimmy Rushing (Vocals)
- Marshal Royal (Alto Sax)
- Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (Tenor Sax)
- Thad Jones (Trumpet)
- Al Grey (Trombone)
- John Clayton (Bass)
- Cleveland Eaton (Bass)
- Gregg Field (drums)
- Dennis Rowland (Vocals)
- Chris Murrell (vocals)
- Dave Gibson (Drums)
- Jack Washington (Baritone Sax)
- Johnny Williams (Baritone Sax)
- Butch Miles (Drums)
- Sonny Payne (Drums)
- Frank Foster (Tenor Sax)
- George Caldwell (Piano)
- Charlton Johnson (Guitar)
- Tony Suggs (Piano)
- Scotty Barnhart (Trumpet)
- James Leary (Bass)
- Brian Gryce (Drums)
- Will Matthews (guitar)
- Mel Wanzo (trombone)
- Kris Johnson (trumpet)
- Ed Shaughnessy (drums)
- Bobby Floyd (piano/organ)
- Dance Session (1952–54, Clef)
- Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings (with Joe Williams) (1955, Clef)
- April in Paris (1955–56, Verve)
- The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards (with Joe Williams) (1956, Verve)
- Basie in London (live) (1956, Verve)
- One O'Clock Jump (with Joe Williams and Ella Fitzgerald) (1957, Verve)
- Count Basie at Newport (live) (1957, Verve)
- E = MC² (1958, Roulette)
- Basie Plays Hefti (1958, Roulette)
- No Count Sarah (with Sarah Vaughan) (1958, EmArcy)
- Breakfast Dance and Barbecue (1959, Roulette)
- Welcome to the Club (Uncredited) (Nat King Cole) (1959, Capitol)
- In Person! (with Tony Bennett) (1959, Columbia)
- Chairman of the Board (1959, Roulette)
- Strike Up the Band (with Tony Bennett) (1959, Roulette)
- Basie/Eckstine Incorporated (with Billy Eckstine) (1959, Roulette)
- Everyday I Have the Blues (with Joe Williams) (1959, Roulette)
- The Count Basie Story (1960, Roulette)
- I Gotta Right to Swing (Uncredited) (Sammy Davis Jr.) (1960, Decca)
- First Time! The Count Meets the Duke (with Duke Ellington) (1961, Columbia)
- The Legend (1961, Roulette)
- Count Basie/Sarah Vaughan (with Sarah Vaughan) (1961, Roulette)
- Basie at Birdland (live) (1961, Roulette)
- Easin' It (1962, Roulette)
- Sinatra–Basie: An Historic Musical First (with Frank Sinatra) (1962, Reprise)
- On My Way & Shoutin' Again! (1963, Verve)
- Li'l Ol' Groovemaker...Basie! (1963, Verve)
- This Time by Basie! (1963, Verve)
- Ella and Basie! (with Ella Fitzgerald) (1963, Verve)
- Basie Land (1964, Verve)
- It Might as Well Be Swing (with Frank Sinatra) (1964, Reprise)
- Basie Picks the Winners (1965, Verve)
- Our Shining Hour (with Sammy Davis Jr.) (1965, Verve)
- Arthur Prysock and Count Basie (with Arthur Prysock) (1965, Verve)
- Basie's Beatle Bag (1965, Verve)
- Broadway Basie's...Way (1966, Command)
- Basie Meets Bond (1966, United Artists)
- Hollywood...Basie's Way (1966, Command)
- Sinatra at the Sands (live, with Frank Sinatra) (1966, Reprise)
- Basie's Beat (1967, Verve)
- Half a Sixpence (1967, Dot)
- The Board of Directors (with The Mills Brothers) (1968, Dot)
- The Board of Directors Annual Report (with The Mills Brothers) (1968, Dot)
- Basie Straight Ahead (1969, Dot)
- Standing Ovation (1969, Dot)
- Afrique (1970, RCA Victor)
- Basie on the Beatles (1970, Happy Tiger)
- Have A Nice Day (1971, Daybreak)
- Bing 'n' Basie (with Bing Crosby) (1972, Daybreak)
- Jazz at Santa Monica Civic '72 (live) (1972, Pablo)
- The Bosses (with Big Joe Turner) (1973, Pablo)
- Basie Big Band (1975, Pablo)
- Fun Time (1975, Pablo)
- I Told You So (1976, Pablo)
- Prime Time (1977, Pablo)
- Montreux '77 (live) (1977, Pablo)
- Live in Japan '78 (live) (1978, Pablo)
- On the Road (1979, Pablo)
- Digital III at Montreux (live) (1979, Pablo)
- A Classy Pair (with Ella Fitzgerald) (1979, Pablo)
- A Perfect Match (live, with Ella Fitzgerald) (1979, Pablo)
- Kansas City Shout (1980, Pablo)
- Warm Breeze (1981, Pablo)
- Send in the Clowns (Sarah Vaughan) (1981, Pablo)
- Farmer's Market Barbecue (1982, Pablo)
- 88 Basie Street (1983, Pablo)
- Me and You (1983, Pablo)
- Fancy Pants (final album with Count Basie) (1983, Pablo)
- Long Live the Chief (1987, Denon)
- Diane Schuur & the Count Basie Orchestra (live, with Diane Schuur) (1987, GRP)
- The Legend, the Legacy (1990, Denon)
- The George Benson Big Boss Band featuring The Count Basie Orchestra (1991, Warner Bros.)
- The Count Basie Orchestra Live at El Morocco (1992, Telarc)
- Joe Williams and the Count Basie Orchestra (1993, Telarc)
- Live at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild: The Count Basie Orchestra (1997, Blue Jackel)
- At Long Last (with Rosemary Clooney) (1998, Concord)
- Count Plays Duke (1998, MAMA)
- Swing Shift (1999, MAMA)
- Ray Sings, Basie Swings (2006, Concord)
- Basie is Back (2007, MAMA)
- Midnight in Manhattan (2007, Aspirion)
- A Swingin' Christmas (Featuring The Count Basie Big Band) (with Tony Bennett) (2008, Columbia)
- A Very Swingin' Basie Christmas! (2015)
sessions
- Basie Jam (1973, Pablo)
- For the First Time (1974, Pablo)
- Basie & Zoot (with Zoot Sims) (1975, Pablo)
- For the Second Time (1975, Pablo)
- Basie Jam 2 (1976, Pablo)
- Basie Jam 3 (1976, Pablo)
- Kansas City 5 (1977, Pablo)
- The Gifted Ones (with Dizzy Gillespie) (1977, Pablo)
- Basie Jam: Montreux '77 (live) (1977, Pablo)
- Satch and Josh...Again (with Oscar Peterson) (1977, Pablo)
- Night Rider (with Oscar Peterson) (1978, Pablo)
- Count Basie Meets Oscar Peterson – The Timekeepers (with Oscar Peterson) (1978, Pablo)
- Yessir, That's My Baby (with Oscar Peterson) (1978, Pablo)
- Kansas City 7 (1980, Pablo)
- Kansas City 6 (1981, Pablo)
- Mostly Blues...and Some Others (1983, Pablo)