Mitchell, Roscoe (Edward Jr.)

Mitchell, Roscoe (Edward Jr.), avant-garde reeds player, composer, leader; b. Chicago, Ill., Aug. 3, 1940. Mitchell has recorded with distinction on alto, soprano, and bass saxes and a wealth of percussion and miscellaneous instruments. He played clarinet, baritone saxophone in high school, and alto saxophone in Europe as part the army band. He worked with Byron Austin, Scotty Holt, Jack Dejohnette and in a small combo with Henry Threadgill before joining Muhal Richard Abrams’s experimental band in 1961; his association with Abram’s ultimately led to the creation of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in 1965. He then led his own trio. Mitchell’s 1966 album, Sound, is said to have led to the formation of Art Ensemble of Chicago. The album was also important because it put some of principles of John Cage into practice in jazz medium. He has performed as a member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago since 1965, including a two-year stay in Europe. Mitchell appeared playing in Morocco in the video “The World According to John Coltrane” Besides his work with the AEC, Mitchell experimented with dance music in the 1980s. He formed his own Sound Ensemble in 1980 and, in 1988, was given an award by the National Assoc. of Jazz Educators for Outstanding Service to Jazz Education. Three years later, Mitchell was awarded the Jazz Masters Award from Arts Midwest.

Discography

Sound (1966); Old/Quartet (1967); Congliptious (1968); Solo Saxophone Concerts (1973); Quartet (1975); Nonaah (1976); Duets with Anthony Braxton (1977); Roscoe Mitchell (1978); L-R-G / The Maze/ SII Examples (1978); Sketches from Bamboo (1979); 3x4 Eye (1981); And the Sound and Space Ensemble (1983); An Interesting Breakfast Conversation (1984); Live at the Muhle Hunziken (1986); Flow of Things (1986); Live at the Knitting Factory (1987); Roscoe Mitchell Solo (1988); Live in Detroit (1988); After Fallen Leaves (1989); Songs in the Wind (1990); Duets & Solos (1990); This Dance Is for Steve McCall (1992); Four Compositions (1992); Pilgrimage (1994); Hey Donald (1994).

—Lewis Porter