Danny Mixon
Encyclopedia
Daniel Asbury Mixon is an American
jazz
pianist
.
Mixon is a talented pianist who gained some attention in the 1970s and who continues to record and to play in New York and abroad. He started off as a tap dancer, attending the Ruth Williams Dance Studio. Later, he attended the High School of Performing Arts with Dance as his major but soon switched to playing the piano after being inspired by visits with his grandfather to see jazz artists playing at the Apollo Theater
.
In 1966, at the age of 17,Danny was invited to play with the trumpet player Sam Brown's band backing Patti Labelle
& the Blue Bells in Atlantic City at Reggie's Cocktail Lounge. After working with Joe Lee Wilson
from 1967–70, Mixon started to play regularly with Betty Carter
during the years 1971-72.
He formed his own jazz trio, recorded with the Piano Choir and worked with a variety of important jazz musicians including Kenny Dorham
, Cecil Payne
, Art Blakey
's Jazz Messengers, Frank Foster
, Grant Green
, Pharaoh Sanders (1975), Joe Williams (jazz singer)
, Eddie Jefferson
and Dee Dee Bridgewater
.
1976 saw Mixon playing in Charles Mingus
' band. He then played with Dannie Richmond
in the late 1970s, tourd the U.S. with Yusef Lateef
and played a few years with the Lionel Hampton
Big Band.
Since his twenties Mixon has worked continuously with Frank Foster (musician)
as a pianist for the Big Band; Frank Foster's Loud Minority, and his quartet - the Non-Electric Company.
Mixon plays piano on many recordings. He appears with Hank Crawford
on the compact discs. "Tight" and "After Dark" and has also recorded with The Danny Mixon Trio. His most recent CD is entitled "On My Way".
In 2004 Danny Mixon was presented with an award honoring him as a legendary pianist, by The Jazz Museum in Harlem, from their series “Harlem Speaks” honoring Harlem Heroes.In September 2007 Danny was Honoree at the 18th Annual Legends Purple Carpet Awards, honoring contributors of the promotional arts and entertainment industry at Brooklyn’s Toro’s.
Danny Mixon is currently musical director of the Lenox Lounge
in Harlem
, where he also regularly plays with the Danny Mixon Trio.
With Dannie Richmond
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
.
Mixon is a talented pianist who gained some attention in the 1970s and who continues to record and to play in New York and abroad. He started off as a tap dancer, attending the Ruth Williams Dance Studio. Later, he attended the High School of Performing Arts with Dance as his major but soon switched to playing the piano after being inspired by visits with his grandfather to see jazz artists playing at the Apollo Theater
Apollo Theater
The Apollo Theater in New York City is one of the most famous, and older, music halls in the United States, and the most famous club associated almost exclusively with Black performers...
.
In 1966, at the age of 17,Danny was invited to play with the trumpet player Sam Brown's band backing Patti Labelle
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
& the Blue Bells in Atlantic City at Reggie's Cocktail Lounge. After working with Joe Lee Wilson
Joe Lee Wilson
Joe Lee Wilson was an American gospel-influenced jazz singer, originally from Bristow, Oklahoma. His voice is best recognized from several Archie Shepp albums recorded for Impulse! Records.-Biography:...
from 1967–70, Mixon started to play regularly with Betty Carter
Betty Carter
Betty Carter was an American jazz singer renowned for her improvisational technique and idiosyncratic vocal style...
during the years 1971-72.
He formed his own jazz trio, recorded with the Piano Choir and worked with a variety of important jazz musicians including Kenny Dorham
Kenny Dorham
McKinley Howard Dorham was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer born in Fairfield, Texas. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention from the jazz establishment that many of his peers did...
, Cecil Payne
Cecil Payne
Cecil Payne was a jazz baritone saxophonist born in Brooklyn, NY. Payne also played the alto saxophone and flute...
, Art Blakey
Art Blakey
Arthur "Art" Blakey , known later as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and bandleader. He was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community....
's Jazz Messengers, Frank Foster
Frank Foster (musician)
Frank Foster was an American tenor and soprano saxophonist, flautist, arranger, and composer. Foster collaborated frequently with Count Basie and worked as a bandleader from the early 1950s.-Biography:...
, Grant Green
Grant Green
Grant Green was a jazz guitarist and composer....
, Pharaoh Sanders (1975), Joe Williams (jazz singer)
Joe Williams (jazz singer)
Joe Williams was a well-known jazz vocalist, a baritone singing a mixture of blues, ballads, popular songs, and jazz standards.-Early life:...
, Eddie Jefferson
Eddie Jefferson
Eddie Jefferson was a celebrated jazz vocalist and lyricist. He is credited as an innovator of vocalese, a musical style in which lyrics are set to an instrumental composition or solo. Perhaps his best-known song is "Moody's Mood for Love", though it was first recorded by King Pleasure, who cited...
and Dee Dee Bridgewater
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Dee Dee Bridgewater is an American Jazz singer. She is a three-time Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter, as well as a Tony Award - winning stage actress and host of National Public Radio's syndicated radio show JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater...
.
1976 saw Mixon playing in Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus Jr. was an American jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist.Mingus's compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third stream, free jazz, and classical music...
' band. He then played with Dannie Richmond
Dannie Richmond
Dannie Richmond was an American drummer who was best known among jazz fans for his work with Charles Mingus, and among pop fans for his work with Joe Cocker, Elton John and Mark-Almond....
in the late 1970s, tourd the U.S. with Yusef Lateef
Yusef Lateef
Dr. Yusef Lateef is an American Grammy Award-winning jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, educator and a spokesman for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community after his conversion to the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam in 1950.Although Lateef's main instruments are the tenor saxophone and flute, he is known for...
and played a few years with the Lionel Hampton
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
Big Band.
Since his twenties Mixon has worked continuously with Frank Foster (musician)
Frank Foster (musician)
Frank Foster was an American tenor and soprano saxophonist, flautist, arranger, and composer. Foster collaborated frequently with Count Basie and worked as a bandleader from the early 1950s.-Biography:...
as a pianist for the Big Band; Frank Foster's Loud Minority, and his quartet - the Non-Electric Company.
Mixon plays piano on many recordings. He appears with Hank Crawford
Hank Crawford
Bennie Ross "Hank" Crawford, Jr. was an American R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, soul jazz alto saxophonist, arranger and songwriter...
on the compact discs. "Tight" and "After Dark" and has also recorded with The Danny Mixon Trio. His most recent CD is entitled "On My Way".
In 2004 Danny Mixon was presented with an award honoring him as a legendary pianist, by The Jazz Museum in Harlem, from their series “Harlem Speaks” honoring Harlem Heroes.In September 2007 Danny was Honoree at the 18th Annual Legends Purple Carpet Awards, honoring contributors of the promotional arts and entertainment industry at Brooklyn’s Toro’s.
Danny Mixon is currently musical director of the Lenox Lounge
Lenox Lounge
Lenox Lounge is a long-standing bar in Harlem, New York City. It is located in Lenox Avenue, between 124th and 125th. The bar was founded in 1939 and served as venue for performances by many great jazz artists, including Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane...
in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
, where he also regularly plays with the Danny Mixon Trio.
As sideman
With Betty CarterBetty Carter
Betty Carter was an American jazz singer renowned for her improvisational technique and idiosyncratic vocal style...
- Betty Carter, Vols. 1 & 2 (1971)
With Dannie Richmond
Dannie Richmond
Dannie Richmond was an American drummer who was best known among jazz fans for his work with Charles Mingus, and among pop fans for his work with Joe Cocker, Elton John and Mark-Almond....
- Ode to MingusOde to MingusOde to Mingus is an album by the American jazz drummer Dannie Richmond recorded in 1979 and released on the Italian Soul Note label.-Reception:...
(Soul Note, 1979)