Blue Mitchell was a jazz trumpet player born in Miami on March 13, 1930. His swinging, sharp and energetic voice helped shaping the sound of the legendary Blue Note label in the 60s, but he also recorded for other important labels such as Prestige and Mainstream Records.

Mitchell's earlier hard bop oriented sound was signified by his love for r&b already, but it wasn't until the late 60s that he seriously explored soul-jazz and jazz funk. Among others, he played with famous names like Horace Silver, John Mayall, and Chick Corea. He died of cancer in Los Angeles on May 21, 1979.