Roscoe Mitchell was born on August 3, 1940. He is an American composer, jazz musician, and teacher. He is known for playing the saxophone in a unique and highly skilled way. The Penguin Guide to Jazz called him "one of the key figures" in avant-garde jazz. All About Jazz said in 2004 that Mitchell had been a leader in modern music for over 35 years. A critic named Jon Pareles from The New York Times described Mitchell as someone who challenges traditional ideas. In addition to his own musical projects, Mitchell helped start the Art Ensemble of Chicago and the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM).

History

Mitchell, who is African American, was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States. He grew up in the Chicago area, where he began playing the saxophone and clarinet at about age twelve. His family had a strong connection to music, with many different styles of music played in the home when he was young. His brother, Norman, introduced Mitchell to jazz. While attending Englewood High School in Chicago, he continued studying the clarinet. In the 1950s, he joined the United States Army and was stationed in Heidelberg, Germany. There, he played in military parades with fellow saxophonists Albert Ayler and Rubin Cooper. Mitchell said that Rubin Cooper "took me under his wing and taught me a lot of stuff." He also studied with the first clarinetist of the Heidelberg Symphony while in Germany. Mitchell returned to the United States in the early 1960s, moved back to the Chicago area, and performed in a band with Wilson Junior College students, including Malachi Favors (bass), Joseph Jarman, Henry Threadgill, and Anthony Braxton (all saxophonists). He also studied with Muhal Richard Abrams and played in his band, the Muhal Richard Abrams' Experimental Band, starting in 1961.

In 1965, Mitchell became one of the first members of the non-profit organization Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), along with Jodie Christian (piano), Steve McCall (drums), and Phil Cohran (composer). The next year, Mitchell, Lester Bowie (trumpet), Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre (tenor saxophone), Malachi Favors, Lester Lashley (trombone), and Alvin Fielder (drums) recorded their first studio album, Sound. The album was different from the more outgoing work of free jazz musicians in New York, partly because the band used "unusual tools" like toys and bicycle horns during recordings.

From 1967, Mitchell, Bowie, Favors, and Joseph Jarman (on occasion) performed as the Roscoe Mitchell Art Ensemble, later known as the Art Ensemble, and finally as the Art Ensemble of Chicago in 1969. The group included Phillip Wilson on drums for a short time before he joined another band. The group lived and performed in Europe from 1969 to 1971, but they had no percussionist after Wilson left. To solve this, Mitchell said the group "evolved into doing percussion ourselves." Later, they added a percussionist named Don Moye, who Mitchell had previously played with and was living in Europe at the time. For performances, the band wore bright costumes and painted their faces. The Art Ensemble of Chicago became one of the most highly praised jazz bands in the 1970s and 1980s.

Mitchell and the group returned to the United States in 1971. After living in Chicago for three years, he started the Creative Arts Collective (CAC) in 1974. The group had a musical style similar to the AACM and was based in East Lansing, Michigan, where they often performed at Michigan State University. Mitchell also formed the Sound Ensemble in the early 1970s, which he described as an "outgrowth of the CAC." The group included Mitchell, Hugh Ragin, Jaribu Shahid, Tani Tabbal, and Spencer Barefield.

In the 1990s, Mitchell began working with classical music composers and artists like Pauline Oliveros, Thomas Buckner, and Borah Bergman. He formed a trio with Buckner and Bergman called Trio Space. Buckner also joined Mitchell and Gerald Oshita in another group called "Space" in the late 1990s. Mitchell later created the Note Factory in 1992, which was another development of the Sound Ensemble.

He lived in Madison, Wisconsin, and performed with a re-formed Art Ensemble of Chicago. In 1999, the band suffered a loss when Lester Bowie died, but Mitchell refused to replace him, saying in an interview, "You can't do that." The band continued performing despite the loss.

Mitchell has worked with younger musicians in many ensembles and combinations, including trumpeter Corey Wilkes, bassist Karl E. H. Seigfried, and drummer Isaiah Spencer, who were not born when the first Art Ensemble recordings were made.

In 2007, Mitchell was named Darius Milhaud Chair of Composition at Mills College in Oakland, California, where he currently lives. He was invited by Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in March 2012 in Minehead, England.

Mitchell has taught at the University of Illinois, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and the California Institute of the Arts. From 2007 to 2019, he taught at Mills College. One of his notable students is Dave Soldier.

Awards and honors

The following are referenced from Mitchell's biography at the official AACM website.

• DownBeat magazine: Talent That Deserves More Recognition, Best Jazz Group – Art Ensemble of Chicago (Established), Record of the Year – Nonaah
• Madison Music Legend – Madison magazine
• Certificate of Appreciation – St. Louis Public Schools Role Model Experiences Program
• Certificate of Appreciation – Art Ensemble of Chicago (Smithsonian Institution)
• Honorary Citizen of Atlanta, Georgia
• International Jazz Critics Poll
• Jazz Personality of the Year – City of Madison, Wisconsin
• Image Award – National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
• Jazz Master – National Endowment for the Arts
• Outstanding Service to Jazz Education Award – National Association of Jazz Educators

• Arts Midwest Jazz Masters
• Comnicut Foundation
• Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission Project Grant – Madison Committee for the Arts
• Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award (1996)
• Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique Musique, Paris, France
• Madison Festival of the Lakes Grant
• Meet the Composer – Cultural Series Grant, Center for International Performance and Exhibition, Chicago
• Michigan State University matching grant
• Minnesota Composer's Forum
• National Endowment for the Arts
• Wisconsin Arts Board

Discography

The album Snurdy McGurdy and Her Dancin' Shoes was released by Nessa in 1981. The album 3 x 4 Eye was released by Black Saint in 1981. The album Roscoe Mitchell and the Sound and Space Ensembles was released by Black Saint in 1983. The album Live at the Knitting Factory was released by Black Saint in 1987. The album Live in Detroit was released by Cecma in 1988. The album New Music For Woodwinds and Voice was released by 1750 Arch in 1981. The album Roscoe Mitchell and the Sound and Space Ensembles was released by Black Saint in 1983. The album An Interesting Breakfast Conversation was released by 1750 Arch in 1984. The album This Dance Is for Steve McCall was released by Black Saint in 1993. The album Nine to Get Ready was released by ECM in 1999. The album Song for My Sister was released by Pi in 2002. The album The Bad Guys was released by Around Jazz in 2003. The album Far Side with The Note Factory was released by ECM in 2010. The album Solo Saxophone Concerts was released by Sackville in 1974. The album Nonaah was released by Nessa in 1976. The album L-R-G / The Maze / S II Examples was released by Nessa in 1978. The album Live at the Muhle Hunziken was released by Cecma in 1986. The album Duets & Solos was released by Black Saint in 1993. The album Sound Songs was released by Delmark in 1997. The album Solo [3] was released by Mutable in 2004. The album Dots/Pieces for Percussion and Woodwinds was released by Wide Hive in 2021. The album Before There Was Sound was released by Nessa in 1965 and 2011. The album Sound was released by Delmark in 1966. The album Roscoe Mitchell Quartet was released by Sackville in 1976. The album Nonaah was released by Nessa in 1976. The album Duets with Anthony Braxton was released by Sackville in 1977. The album L-R-G / The Maze / S II Examples was released by Nessa in 1978. The album Sketches from Bamboo was released by Moers Music in 1979. The album More Cutouts was released by Cecma in 1981. The album The Flow of Things was released by Black Saint in 1986. The album Four Compositions was released by Lovely Music in 1987. The album Songs in the Wind was released by Victo in 1991. The album After Fallen Leaves was released by Silkheart in 1992. The album Duets & Solos was released by Black Saint in 1993. The album The Italian Concert (with Borah Bergman) was released by Soul Note in 1994. The album Hey Donald was released by Delmark in 1995. The album First Meeting was released by Knitting Factory in 1995. The album Pilgrimage was released by Lovely Music in 1995. The album The Day and the Night was released by Dizim in 1997. The album In Walked Buckner was released by Delmark in 1999. The album 8 O'Clock: Two Improvisations was released by Mutable Music in 2001. The album First Look, Chicago Duos was released by Southport in 2005. The album Turn was released by RogueArt in 2005. The album No Side Effects was released by RogueArt in 2006. The album Composition/Improvisation Nos. 1, 2 & 3 with Evan Parker was released by ECM in 2007. The album Contact was released by RogueArt in 2007. The album Spectrum was released by Mutable in 2010. The album Numbers was released by RogueArt in 2011. The album Three Compositions with Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble was released by RogueArt in 2012. The album Duets with Tyshawn Sorey and Special Guest Hugh Ragin was released by Wide Hive in 2013. The album Improvisations (with Tony Marsh and John Edwards) was released by Otoroku in 2013. The album Conversations I (with Craig Taborn and Kikanju Baku) was released by Wide Hive Records in 2014. The album Conversations II (with Craig Taborn and Kikanju Baku) was released by Wide Hive Records in 2014. The album In Pursuit of Magic (with Mike Reed) was released by 482 Music in 2014. The album Angel City (Roscoe Mitchell Trio with James Fei & William Winant) was released by RogueArt in 2014. The album Celebrating Fred Anderson was released by Nessa in 2015. The album Four Ways (with Yuganaut) was released by Nessa in 2017. The album Bells for the South Side was released by ECM in 2017. The album Discussions was released by Wide Hive Records in 2017. The album Accelerated Projection (with Matthew Shipp) was released by RogueArt in 2018. The album Ride the Wind was released by Nessa in 2018. The album Roscoe Mitchell Orchestra Littlefield Concert Hall Mills College was released by Wide Hive Records in 2019. The album Flow States (with Marshall Allen, Milford Graves, and Scott Robinson) was released by ScienSonic in 202