Frank Mitchell--what's the story

[ghost of miles]

Been revisiting some 1960s Lee Morgan for an upcoming show, and in doing so once again encountered the work of tenor saxophonist Frank Mitchell, who also pops up on some Andrew Hill dates. What ever happened to him? I seem to recall his being mentioned in the recent Lee Morgan bio--another East River casualty, like Ayler?

[Chuck Nessa]

What qualities of Mitchell's playing draw your attention?

[ghost of miles]

He sounds like a cross between Coltrane (tone) and Mobley (rhythm/ideas, but edgier) to me, but with something unique in his voice/style that I can't quite place; I particularly like his work on "Mickey's Tune" from the bonus tracks added to THE SIXTH SENSE. I haven't heard the album he did with Blakey that Cuscuna alludes to in the liner notes.

Edited April 16, 2007 by ghost of miles

[JSngry]

He sounds like a cross between Coltrane (tone) and Mobley (rhythm/ideas, but edgier) to me,

That's a combination I've noticed in a fair amount of "local" tenor player of a certain age/environment over the years. It's really a "school" of its own.

Was Mitchell a Newark-ite? Seems like there was a scene in Newark around thatt time that favored that approach. If you've ever heard the Buddy Terry Prestige material w/Woody Shaw, Larry Young, & Eddie Gladden, that's a good example.

[ghost of miles]

He sounds like a cross between Coltrane (tone) and Mobley (rhythm/ideas, but edgier) to me,

That's a combination I've noticed in a fair amount of "local" tenor player of a certain age/environment over the years. It's really a "school" of its own.

Was Mitchell a Newark-ite? Seems like there was a scene in Newark around thatt time that favored that approach. If you've ever heard the Buddy Terry Prestige material w/Woody Shaw, Larry Young, & Eddie Gladden, that's a good example.

I haven't, Jim, but I'll check it out--thanks for the tip. I'd also like to track down that Blakey album; Cuscuna says it was the group that included Keith Jarrett and Chuck Mangione.

Pretty sure there's mention of FM in that Morgan bio, but it's at the station, so I'll have to check it when I go to work tomorrow.

[Free For All]

I haven't, Jim, but I'll check it out--thanks for the tip. I'd also like to track down that Blakey album; Cuscuna says it was the group that included Keith Jarrett and Chuck Mangione.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

whats this limelight lp of various artists, and its called "soundtrack to...." something or another i cant rcall but the 1st song is the blakey band w/ lee, curtis, john gilmore, et al- and the other songs are by chet and milt jackson, etc....

[Niko]

i've asked this before without success, but: was there a Frank Mitchell vs Frank Haynes thread some time in the last 6 months or so, or did i dream it?

besides: i was suprised to see this Verve compilation Compact Jazz Art Blakey

http://www.amazon.com/Compact-Jazz-Art-Bla...9216&sr=1-1

is so pricey by now, but in case you have it and haven't really looked in years: the last two tracks are from Buttercorn Lady

[mikeweil]

Can't check it discographically right now, but it seems the first tracks of that Verve comp are from the 1954 EmArcy sessions, the last two from Buttercorn Lady, the two or so before from another Mercury LP.

AFAIK all of this was reissued as individual CDs some time or another.

I had Buttercorn Lady but sold it - to my ears, a far below average Blakey album, despite the interesting sidemen.

[AllenLowe]

am I confusing Franks even more, or didn't he make a few albums for Xanadu? Great player, if that's the one, now dead, I believe, and was widely considered to be very difficult personally - unless of course I am thinking of a different Frank altogether (Barney Franks? Frank Sinatra? Frankie Lymon?)

[Niko]

am I confusing Franks even more, or didn't he make a few albums for Xanadu? Great player, if that's the one, now dead, I believe, and was widely considered to be very difficult personally - unless of course I am thinking of a different Frank altogether (Barney Franks? Frank Sinatra? Frankie Lymon?)

maybe you think of a different Mitchell? (Billy)

http://jazzlabels.klacto.net/xanadu.html

[Peter Friedman]

am I confusing Franks even more, or didn't he make a few albums for Xanadu? Great player, if that's the one, now dead, I believe, and was widely considered to be very difficult personally - unless of course I am thinking of a different Frank altogether (Barney Franks? Frank Sinatra? Frankie Lymon?)

I suspect you are thinking of tenor player Frank Haynes. He plays on some tracks on the Walter Bishop, Jr. album on Xanadu.

[AllenLowe]

it was Billy Mitchell - never mind -

[ghost of miles]

Here's the reference from Tom Perchard's Lee Morgan bio:

Tenor saxophonist Frank Mitchell, who regularly played with Morgan at Slugs' and made two of only a handful of recorded appearances under the trumpeter's leadership, was found in the East River, apparently having fallen foul of a dealer.

No info on whether or not Mitchell was a Newark-ite.

I'd still like to hear that Blakey record--Mr. Tanno is going to try to track down a copy. Brought along GRASS ROOTS to work today so that I can listen to the Mitchell session that's included with it.

[Niko]

Here's the reference from Tom Perchard's Lee Morgan bio:

Tenor saxophonist Frank Mitchell, who regularly played with Morgan at Slugs' and made two of only a handful of recorded appearances under the trumpeter's leadership, was found in the East River, apparently having fallen foul of a dealer.

does it say a year? i vaguely remember, that Chet Baker's manager could not look after Chet in the days before his death so he brought him to some other guy in Amsterdam who had the right, uh, connections and was regularly hosting musicians with these problems; well and that guy was hosting Woody Shaw, too, at that time and iirc Frank Mitchell; will look it up in de Valk... (that would have been 1989(?))

[ghost of miles]

No year given, and the story's not sourced, either. Perchard posts here from time to time, so I'll try to PM him & see if he can elaborate at all. My between-the-lines sense of how it's placed in the Morgan bio makes me think we're talking early 1970s. BTW one of his compositions, "Extemporaneous," is included on THE SIXTH SENSE cd reissue.

[bertrand]

The story I had heard was that Mitchell was having an affair with a mobster's wife, and met a gory ending.

But what Tom Perchard said may be the real story - I have no confirmation on the story I heard.

I believe Buttercorn Lady was on iTunes as one of Verve's iTunes only reissue. I might just get that one day - my Frank Mitchell playlist on iTunes is kinda small

Bertrand.

[ghost of miles]

I believe Buttercorn Lady was on iTunes as one of Verve's iTunes only reissue. I might just get that one day - my Frank Mitchell playlist on iTunes is kinda small

Bertrand.

You mean I'm gonna have to download it?

[JSngry]

But then you won't own it.

[erhodes]

Here's the reference from Tom Perchard's Lee Morgan bio:

Tenor saxophonist Frank Mitchell, who regularly played with Morgan at Slugs' and made two of only a handful of recorded appearances under the trumpeter's leadership, was found in the East River, apparently having fallen foul of a dealer.

No info on whether or not Mitchell was a Newark-ite.

I'd still like to hear that Blakey record...

It's been a long time but...

I saw Frank Mitchell with Blakey at the Jazz Workshop in Boston circa 65-66. A lady I knew from St. Louis said that he was one of her home boys. I believe Bill Hardman was the trumpet player. I remember Blakey introducing him as "the return of the prodigal son".

I had Buttercorn Lady and gave it up. I wasn't impressed with the record or the gig.

I'm surprised to hear about the New York demise. I didn't pick that up when it happened. Frankly, I didn't know he had moved to New York.

Trane and Mobley...I suppose...though none of that struck me at the time. He just sounded generic to me. Competent but not exciting.

[sidewinder]

Here's the reference from Tom Perchard's Lee Morgan bio:

Tenor saxophonist Frank Mitchell, who regularly played with Morgan at Slugs' and made two of only a handful of recorded appearances under the trumpeter's leadership, was found in the East River, apparently having fallen foul of a dealer.

does it say a year? i vaguely remember, that Chet Baker's manager could not look after Chet in the days before his death so he brought him to some other guy in Amsterdam who had the right, uh, connections and was regularly hosting musicians with these problems; well and that guy was hosting Woody Shaw, too, at that time and iirc Frank Mitchell; will look it up in de Valk... (that would have been 1989(?))

Wasn't that Frank Wright and not Frank Mitchell? (presumably this is referring to 'Bob Holland' - but based in Rotterdam I think).

[Niko]

does it say a year? i vaguely remember, that Chet Baker's manager could not look after Chet in the days before his death so he brought him to some other guy in Amsterdam who had the right, uh, connections and was regularly hosting musicians with these problems; well and that guy was hosting Woody Shaw, too, at that time and iirc Frank Mitchell; will look it up in de Valk... (that would have been 1989(?))

Wasn't that Frank Wright and not Frank Mitchell? (presumably this is referring to 'Bob Holland' - but based in Rotterdam I think).

sorry, you're right (and it was Bob Holland )(just a Frank i was surprised to see in that context...)

[sidewinder]

No problem. Truly sad story in any event, especially with regard to Woody Shaw. I think Bob Holland had a lot to do with Timeless Records, back in the day (the Gavin book has a whole section on this, must dig it out later).

[umum_cypher]

I'll have a look at the interview transcript when I get home, but I don't think I got a date or anything else out of my interviewee, who was really rather cagey about the whole thing, quite possibly for the reasons Bertrand alluded to - I'm not being mysterious, but I'd rather not name him on the board (that's why it's not sourced in the book, like most of those kinds of details). He's one of Cuscuna's faves too, isn't he - can't say I find him very thrilling.

Maybe, if it happened at all, he copped it around the end of 67 - LM was recording with him all the time and playing with him at Slugs (I have a photo of Lee and the back of FM's head - what a mystery he is - at Slug's from Sept 67), but was recording with Maupin by early 68 - not much to go on tho -

FWIW Those post-BN mid-60s Blakeys are really ropey IMO - as already mentioned, surprisingly so considering who's involved. Have you heard 'S Make It? CF Indestructible and weep.

I watched the Wizard of Oz the other day (don't ask), and it reminded me of a story with Judy Garland, Curtis Fuller and Lee Morgan in it, which I'll post tomorrow but I've got to go right this second ... (it's not very good, don't hold your breath)

[ghost of miles]

Hey, thanks for the elaboration, UC--beat me to it before I could PM you. I don't find Mitchell's sound "thrilling" so much as "promising," at least on the records with Morgan. (Also, the Trane/Mobley a reference to influence rather than a similar level of greatness.) Or maybe I just have a sweet tooth for late 1960s hardbop that's letting a bit of avant-garde slur-and-cry into its approach.

My big disappointment with 'S MAKE IT is the lack of John Gilmore solo space (though I seem to recall a previous discussion that JG's solos might have been excised out of the release).