Mitch Mitchell died on November 12, 2008, in Portland, Oregon. As the drummer in The Jimi Hendrix Experience, he brought jazz phrasing into a trio whose songs left room for exchanges between guitar, bass and drums. His work also continued beyond Hendrix’s lifetime, helping turn the guitarist’s final recording projects into posthumous albums.
One example of Mitchell’s musical thinking is “Manic Depression,” from the Experience’s 1967 debut, Are You Experienced. In an interview published by DRUM! in 2012, he traced his drum part to Ronnie Stephenson’s playing on John Dankworth’s “African Waltz.” Hendrix’s guitar rhythm had reminded him of that feel. Mitchell adapted it to the song and readily credited the connection: “So thank you Ronnie Stephenson.”
He had arrived with experience in London’s recording studios and Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames. When manager Chas Chandler invited him to play with Hendrix in 1966, Mitchell didn’t initially realize he was auditioning. After several sessions, he accepted an offer that amounted to two weeks of work. The three-piece lineup gave him a freedom he hadn’t experienced before.
With Hendrix and bassist Noel Redding, the trio released Are You Experienced and Axis: Bold As Love in 1967, followed by Electric Ladyland in 1968. Mitchell’s rapid snare work and active cymbal playing reflected a grounding in jazz, with Elvin Jones and Max Roach among his influences. The band’s recording schedule also demanded quick responses. Mitchell recalled songs being written and learned in the studio, sometimes recorded once and never taken onto the stage. He would ask Hendrix what rhythm he heard, then look for a part that supported it or pushed against it.
That partnership developed again when Billy Cox became the bassist in Hendrix’s 1970 trio. In a 2000 interview for Experience Hendrix, Mitchell said playing with Cox gave him more freedom, and he regarded that lineup as possibly the strongest band he had shared with Hendrix. The schedule allowed them to play on weekends and spend time recording between engagements. New material traveled with them: Mitchell remembered taking rough ideas for songs such as “Dolly Dagger” onto the stage and developing them through performance. “We were expanding as a band,” he said.
Hendrix’s death in September 1970 left Mitchell with a different responsibility. He and engineer Eddie Kramer compiled and mixed The Cry Of Love, released in 1971, drawing from recordings Hendrix had intended for a further studio album. The record brought together songs including “Freedom” and “Angel.” Mitchell also worked with Kramer and engineer John Jansen on Rainbow Bridge, issued that same year. “Dolly Dagger,” one of the songs he remembered building through live performance, appeared there. His contribution to those records extended from the original drum performances to preparing the music for release.
Mitchell, Hendrix and Redding were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. Mitchell continued performing the music, joining the Experience Hendrix tribute tour in 2008 alongside musicians including Cox. MusicRadar’s contemporary report noted that he had completed the 18-city American run shortly before his death. His final tour brought him back to music he had helped record.
