Mitchell was born on September 20, 1927, in New York City. His younger brother, Whitey Mitchell, also became a jazz bassist.
Mitchell was raised in New Jersey by a father who was an engineer and loved music, and a mother who loved poetry. His first instruments were piano, alto saxophone, and clarinet. Although Cornell University awarded him an engineering scholarship, by 1947 he was in the US Army playing bass. The next year he was in a jazz trio in New York City.
Mitchell became known for performing and/or recording with Mundell Lowe , Chubby Jackson , Charlie Ventura , Woody Herman , Red Norvo , Gerry Mulligan , and, after joining the West Coast jazz scene in the early 1950s, with André Previn , Shelly Manne , Hampton Hawes , Billie Holiday , Stan Seltzer , Ornette Coleman , and others. He also worked as a bassist in the TV and film studios around Los Angeles, occasionally appearing on screen. Mitchell also appeared in documentaries about Tal Farlow , and Zoot Sims .
Saxophonist Harold Land and Mitchell founded and co-led a quintet in the early 1960s. In 1966, Red began tuning his bass in fifths (as the violin, viola, and cello are tuned), and his tuning method opened up many possibilities for bassists.
Mitchell moved to Stockholm in 1968. He won a Swedish Grammy Awards in 1986 and again in 1991 for his recorded performances as a pianist, bassist, and vocalist, and for his compositions and poetic song lyrics.
During this period, Mitchell performed and/or recorded with Clark Terry , Lee Konitz , Herb Ellis , Jim Hall , Joe Pass , Kenny Barron , Hank Jones , Ben Webster , Bill Mays , Warne Marsh , Jimmy Rowles , Phil Woods , Roger Kellaway , Putte Wickman and others. He frequently collaborated in duos, most notably with pianist Kellaway after the mid-1980s.
Returning to the United States in early 1992, Mitchell settled in Oregon where he died at age 65 on November 8, 1992.
A collection of his poetry was published posthumously. His widow is preparing a biography.
Happy Minors (Bethlehem , 1955) 10" LP with Bob Brookmeyer and Zoot Sims Red Mitchell (Bethlehem , 1956)Presenting Red Mitchell (Contemporary , 1957)Rejoice! (Disques Vogue , 1961)Hear Ye! (Atlantic , 1962) by the Red Mitchell-Harold Land QuintetOne Long String (Mercury , 1969)Bästisar! (Artist, 1973) with Evabritt Strandberg Two Way Conversation (Sonet , 1974) with Barney Kessel I Concentrate on You: A Tribute to Cole Porter (SteepleChase , 1974) with Lee Konitz Chocolate Cadillac with Horace Parlan , Nisse Sandstrom, Rune Carlsson, Idrees Sulieman , 1976But Three's a Crowd (Bluebell, 1977) with Karin Krog Blues for a Crushed Soul (Sonet , 1978)Jim Hall /Red Mitchell (Artists House , 1978) with Jim HallScairport Blues (Yupiteru, 1978)Red'n Me (All Life , 1979) with Jimmy Rowles What I Am (Caprice, 1979)Bass Club (Paddle Wheel, 1980) with Isao Suzuki and Tsuyoshi Yamamoto You're Me (Phontastic, 1980) with Tommy Flanagan Three for All (Enja , 1981) with Phil Woods and Tommy Flanagan When I'm Singing , (1982, Enja )Simple Isn't Easy , 1983Home Suite , 1985To Duke and Basie (Enja, 1986) with Clark Terry The Red Barron Duo (Storyville, 1986 [1988]) with Kenny Barron Duo with Hank Jones (Timeless , 1987)Fifty/Fifty (Stash Records, 1987) with Roger Kellaway Jive at Five (Enja, 1988) with Clark TerryAlone Together (Dragon, 1988) with Roger KellawayMitchell's Talking with Ben Riley , Kenny Barron, 1989Hear Ye! with Harold Land, Carmell Jones, Frank Strazzeri, Leon Pettis, 1989Blaus with Jan Johannsson , 1992Life's a Take (Concord Jazz, 1993 [Concord Duo Series, Vol. 1; recorded 1992]) with Roger KellawayEvolution with Lars Jansson , Joakim Milder, 1995Live in Stockholm with Roger Kellaway, Joakim Milder, 1995Red Mitchell-Warne Marsh Big Two, Vol. 2 with Warne Marsh, 1998Live at Port Townsend with George Cables , (1992), 2005
With Mose Allison
I've Been Doin' Some Thinkin' (Atlantic , 1968)With Gene Ammons
Gene Ammons in Sweden (Enja, 1973 [1981])With Chet Baker
Chet Baker Sings and Plays (Pacific Jazz, 1955)With Louis Bellson
Music, Romance and Especially Love (Verve , 1957)With Paul Bley
Live at Sweet Basil (Soul Note, 1988)
With Bob Brookmeyer
Bob Brookmeyer (Crown, 1963)With Buddy Collette
Jazz Loves Paris (Specialty , 1958)At the Cinema! (Mercury , 1959)With Maynard Ferguson
Dimensions (EmArcy , 1955)With Tommy Flanagan
Super-Session (Enja, 1980) with Elvin Jones With Jimmy Giuffre
7 Pieces (Verve, 1959)Ad Lib (Verve, 1959)
With Jim Hall
Jazz Guitar (Pacific Jazz, 1957)Good Friday Blues (Pacific Jazz, 1960) as The Modest Jazz TrioWith Herbie Harper
Five Brothers (Tampa, 1955)With Hampton Hawes
Hampton Hawes Trio (Contemporary , 1955)This Is Hampton Hawes (Contemporary, 1956)Everybody Likes Hampton Hawes (Contemporary, 1956)All Night Session! Vol. 1 (Contemporary, 1956 [1958])All Night Session! Vol. 2 (Contemporary, 1956 [1958])All Night Session! Vol. 3 (Contemporary, 1956 [1958])Four! (Contemporary, 1958)The Seance (Contemporary, 1966 [1969])I'm All Smiles (Contemporary, 1966 [1973])With Paul Horn
House of Horn (Dot , 1957)Plenty of Horn (Dot, 1958)With Stan Kenton
Kenton with Voices (Capitol , 1957)Lush Interlude (Capitol, 1958)Sophisticated Approach (Capitol, 1961)
With Barney Kessel
Kessel Plays Standards (Contemporary, 1955)To Swing or Not to Swing (Contemporary, 1955)Easy Like (Contemporary, 1956)With Karin Krog
I Remember You... (Spotlite , 1981) with Warne MarshWith Johnny Mandel
I Want to Live (United Artists , 1958)With Shelly Manne
Bells Are Ringing (Contemporary, 1958)With Warne Marsh
Music for Prancing (Mode, 1957)
With Jack Montrose
Arranged/Played/Composed by Jack Montrose (Atlantic, 1955)With Gerry Mulligan
Paris Concert (Pacific Jazz, 1955)California Concerts (Pacific Jazz, 1955)I Want to Live (United Artists, 1958)With Bill Perkins and Richie Kamuca
Tenors Head-On (Liberty , 1957)With André Previn
Pal Joey (Contemporary, 1957)Gigi (Contemporary, 1958)King Size! (Contemporary, 1959)West Side Story (Contemporary, 1959)The Subterraneans (Soundtrack) (MGM , 1960)André Previn and J. J. Johnson (Columbia , 1961) with J.J. JohnsonSessions, Live (Calliope, 1978) recorded 1956–57A Different Kind of Blues (EMI, 1980) with Itzhak Perlman It's a Breeze (EMI, 1981) with Itzhak PerlmanWith Shorty Rogers
Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers (RCA Victor, 1957)An Invisible Orchard (RCA Victor, 1961 [1997])The Fourth Dimension in Sound (Warner Bros., 1961)
With Dick Rosmini
Adventures for 12-String, 6-String and Banjo (Elektra , 1964)With Pete Rugolo
The Music from Richard Diamond (EmArcy, 1959)10 Trombones Like 2 Pianos (Mercury, 1960)The Original Music of Thriller (Time, 1961)10 Saxophones and 2 Basses (Mercury, 1961)With George Russell
Electronic Sonata for Souls Loved by Nature (Flying Dutchman , 1969)With Bud Shank
Bud Shank - Shorty Rogers - Bill Perkins (Pacific Jazz, 1955)With Clark Terry
Out of Nowhere (Bingow, 1978)Brahms Lullabye (Bingow, 1978)Funk Dumplin's (Matrix, 1978)
With Ben Webster
Ben Webster at the Renaissance (Contemporary, 1960)With Magni Wentzel
New York Nights (Gemini , 1992)With Pierre Strom
Pierre Strom (Rallar Visor) (YTF Records, 1973) (Swedish Folk)