Blue Mitchell • Heads Up!

 

Biography by Richard S. Ginell
Owner of a direct, lightly swinging, somewhat plain-wrapped tone that fit right in with the Blue Note label's hard bop ethos of the 1960s, Blue Mitchell tends to be overlooked today perhaps because he never really stood out vividly from the crowd, despite his undeniable talent. After learning the trumpet in high school -- where he got his nickname -- he started touring in the early '50s with the R&B bands of Paul Williams, Earl Bostic, and Chuck Willis before returning to Miami and jazz. There, he attracted the attention of Cannonball Adderley, with whom he recorded for Riverside in 1958. That year, he joined the Horace Silver Quintet, with whom he played and recorded until the band's breakup in March 1964, polishing his hard bop skills. During his Silver days, Mitchell worked with tenor Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor, drummer Roy Brooks, and various pianists as a separate unit and continued recording as a leader for Riverside. When Silver disbanded, Mitchell's spinoff quintet carried on with Al Foster replacing Brooks and a young future star named Chick Corea in the piano chair. This group, with several personnel changes, continued until 1969, recording a string of albums for Blue Note. Probably aware that opportunities for playing straight-ahead jazz were dwindling, Mitchell became a prolific pop and soul session man in the late '60s, and he toured with Ray Charles from 1969 to 1971 and blues/rock guitarist John Mayall in 1971-1973. Having settled in Los Angeles, he also played big-band dates with Louie Bellson, Bill Holman, and Bill Berry; made a number of funk and pop/jazz LPs in the late '70s; served as principal soloist for Tony Bennett and Lena Horne; and kept his hand in hard bop by playing with Harold Land in a quintet. He continued to freelance in this multifaceted fashion until his premature death from cancer at age 49.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/blue-mitchell-mn0000761064#biography

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Biografía de Richard S. Ginell
Dueño de un tono directo, ligeramente oscilante y algo sencillo que encajaba a la perfección con el espíritu hard bop del sello Blue Note en la década de 1960, Blue Mitchell tiende a ser pasado por alto hoy en día, quizás porque nunca llegó a destacar vivamente entre la multitud, a pesar de su innegable talento. Tras aprender a tocar la trompeta en el instituto -de donde le viene su apodo-, empezó a hacer giras a principios de los 50 con las bandas de R&B de Paul Williams, Earl Bostic y Chuck Willis antes de volver a Miami y al jazz. Allí atrajo la atención de Cannonball Adderley, con quien grabó para Riverside en 1958. Ese año se unió al Horace Silver Quintet, con el que tocó y grabó hasta la disolución de la banda en marzo de 1964, puliendo sus habilidades en el hard bop. Durante sus días con Silver, Mitchell trabajó con el tenor Junior Cook, el bajista Gene Taylor, el batería Roy Brooks y varios pianistas como una unidad separada y continuó grabando como líder para Riverside. Cuando Silver se disolvió, el quinteto de Mitchell continuó con Al Foster sustituyendo a Brooks y una joven futura estrella llamada Chick Corea en la silla del piano. Este grupo, con varios cambios de personal, continuó hasta 1969, grabando una serie de álbumes para Blue Note. Probablemente consciente de que las oportunidades de tocar jazz directo estaban disminuyendo, Mitchell se convirtió en un prolífico sesionista de pop y soul a finales de los 60, y estuvo de gira con Ray Charles de 1969 a 1971 y con el guitarrista de blues/rock John Mayall en 1971-1973. Tras establecerse en Los Ángeles, también tocó en big bands con Louie Bellson, Bill Holman y Bill Berry; grabó varios LP de funk y pop/jazz a finales de los 70; actuó como solista principal para Tony Bennett y Lena Horne; y siguió tocando hard bop con Harold Land en un quinteto. Siguió trabajando por su cuenta de esta forma tan polifacética hasta su prematura muerte de cáncer a los 49 años.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/blue-mitchell-mn0000761064#biography

Tracks:
1 - Heads Up! Feet Down!
Written-By – Jimmy Heath 5:59
2 - Togetherness
Written-By – Jimmy Heath 6:48
3 - The Folks Who Live On The Hill
Written-By – Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II 5:32
4 - God Humor Man
Written-By – Don Pickett* 5:38
5 - Len Sirrah
Written-By – Melba Liston 7:19
6 - The People In Nassau
Written-By – Blue Mitchell 5:39
7 - Togetherness (alt. Take)
Written-By – Jimmy Heath 6:34
8 - Good Humor Man (alt. Take)
Written-By – Don Pickett* 5:14


Credits:
    Alto Saxophone, Flute – Jerry Dodgion (tracks: 6)
    Arranged By – Don Pickett* (tracks: 4, 8), Duke Pearson (tracks: 3, 6), Jimmy Heath (tracks: 1, 2, 7), Melba Liston (tracks: 5)
    Baritone Saxophone – Pepper Adams
    Bass – Gene Taylor
    Design [Cover Design] – Forlenza Venosa Associates
    Drums – Al Foster
    Liner Notes – Eleanor D.Towe, Michael Cuscuna, 高井信成*
    Liner Notes [Transrated By] – 行方均*
    Photography By [Back Cover Photo] – Bob Venosa
    Photography By [Cover Photo] – Charles Keddie
    Piano – McCoy Tyner
    Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
    Tenor Saxophone – Junior Cook
    Trombone – Julian Priester
    Trumpet – Blue Mitchell, Burt Collins

Original Release Date November 17, 1967

Label:    Blue Note – BST 84272
Format:   
Vinyl, LP, Album
Country:    US
Released:    1968
Genre:    Jazz, Funk / Soul
Style:    Hard Bop
https://www.discogs.com/release/1240998-Blue-Mitchell-Heads-Up

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