Blue Mitchell is prized by fans for his unapologetically bluesy (har), soulful, and funky style. Unfortunately, his generally high level of accessibility has led some of jazz’ finger-snapping, neck-bearded “cognoscenti” to dismiss Mitchell as a lightweight, but that won’t stop us from enjoying him. A Florida native, Blue started out with R&B singer Chuck Willis, and was subsequently picked up by Cannonball Adderley in the late fifties. From there, he went on to have a hand in just about every iconic soul jazz group of the sixties and seventies, most notably with Lou Donaldson, Horace Silver, and even Ray Charles.He died of cancer in 1979.
Fungii Mama, The Thing to Do, Blue Note, 1964—a soulful Caribbean tune from Blue’s sophomore Blue Note album, and one of his best-known compositions. It’s a deceptively simple track, and careful listeners will notice the modified rhythm changes (from Gershwin’s standard "I’ve Got Rhythm," further popularized as a bop vehicle by Charlie Parker) that underpin the whole affair.
HNIC, Bantu Village, Blue Note, 1969—cut towards the beginning of Blue’s sometimes-lamented foray into funk. For this album, Mitchell collaborated with then-prominent South African musician and funksman extraordinaire, Hugh Masekela (his son, Sal Masekela, hosts The E! Network’s Daily 10, a “fast-paced, hosts-driven, topical entertainment news show with attitude that recaps the top ten entertainment stories of the moment.” America!). While the flute may leave it sounding a bit dated, there's an undeniable groove.
Bonus Video!
"Senor Blues"
The Horace Silver Quintet, featuring Blue Mitchell
--Chris C
