Billy Mitchell was a hard-swinging tenor and saxophonist who is not related to the crossover keyboardist. In Detroit, Mitchell was a member of Nat Towles’ band. He also played in Lucky Millinder’s Orchestra in New York in the late 1940s. Mitchell recorded in 1949 with Milt Jackson. He also worked in the big bands Milt Buckner, Gil Fuller and Woody Herman’s Second Herd. The first half of 1950 saw Mitchell playing in Detroit, then he was with Dizzy’s big band from 1956 to 1957. He also performed a memorable solo on “Cool Breeze”, at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival. Mitchell performed with Count Basie’s Orchestra from 1957 to 1961 and, in the early ’60s, he led a sextet that included Bobby Hutcherson. He was again with Basie in 1966-1967 and worked as an educator. In the late ’70s, he recorded on Xanadu. Dee Gee, Jubilee and Smash arranged sessions for Billy Mitchell. Lung cancer caused by the influential saxophonist died at his New York home on April 18, 2001.
