Richard Allen (Blue) Mitchell (March 13, 1930 – May 21, 1979) was an Americ… Read Full Bio ↴Richard Allen (Blue) Mitchell (March 13, 1930 – May 21, 1979) was an American jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock, and funk trumpeter, known for many albums recorded as leader and sideman on Blue Note Records.

Mitchell was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He began playing trumpet in high school where he acquired his nickname, Blue.

After high school he played in the rhythm and blues ensembles of Paul Williams, Earl Bostic, and Chuck Willis. After returning to Miami he was noticed by Cannonball Adderley, with whom he recorded for Riverside Records in New York in 1958. He then joined the Horace Silver Quintet playing with tenor Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor and drummer Roy Brooks. Mitchell stayed with Silver's group until the band's break-up in 1964. After the Silver quintet disbanded, Mitchell formed a group employing members from the Silver quintet substituting the young pianist Chick Corea for Silver and replacing a then sick Brooks with drummer Al Foster. This group produced a number of records for Blue Note disbanding in 1969, after which Mitchell joined and toured with Ray Charles till 1971. From 1971 to 1973 Mitchell performed with John Mayall on Jazz Blues Fusion. From the mid – 70s he recorded, and worked as a session man in the genres noted previously, performed with the big band leaders Louie Bellson, Bill Holman and Bill Berry and was principal soloist for Tony Bennett and Lena Horne. Other band leaders Mitchell recorded with include Lou Donaldson, Grant Green, Philly Joe Jones, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Johnny Griffin, Al Cohn, Dexter Gordon and Jimmy Smith. Blue Mitchell kept his hard-bop playing going with the Harold Land quintet up until his death from cancer on May 21, 1979 in Los Angeles, California at the age of 49.

But Beautiful
Blue Mitchell Lyrics

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Love is funny or it's sad,
Or it's quiet or it's mad;
It's a good thing or it's bad,
But beautiful!

Beautiful to take a chance
And if you fall, you fall,
And I'm thinking I wouldn't mind at all.

Love is tearful or it's gay.
It's a problem or it's play,
It's a heartache either way,
But beautiful!

And I'm thinking if you were mine

I'd never let you go,
And that would be but beautiful I know.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Blue Mitchell's song "But Beautiful" describe the complexities of love. Mitchell sings that love can be funny, sad, quiet, or mad but ultimately, it is beautiful. Love can involve taking risks and if you fall, it can lead to heartache, but it is still beautiful. Mitchell also sings that if he were to have someone he loves, he would never let them go.

These lyrics are an exploration of the different emotions that come with love. Love can make you feel a wide range of emotions, from happiness to pain, but it is ultimately a beautiful thing. Mitchell's words suggest that he is open to taking a chance on love, even if it means there is a possibility of getting hurt. He believes that love is worth it because it is a natural part of life.

Overall, "But Beautiful" is a song that celebrates the beauty of love despite its challenges. It is a reminder that love can be both good and bad, but it is always something to be cherished.

Line by Line Meaning

Love is funny or it's sad,
Love can be humorous or sorrowful,

Or it's quiet or it's mad;
It can be peaceful or tumultuous;

It's a good thing or it's bad,
It can be positive or negative,

But beautiful!
But still, love is beautiful!

Beautiful to take a chance
It is wonderful to embrace possibilities

And if you fall, you fall,
And if you fail, you still learn valuable lessons,

And I'm thinking I wouldn't mind at all.
And I wouldn't mind taking the risk either,

Love is tearful or it's gay.
Love can bring both sadness or joy,

It's a problem or it's play,
It can be challenging or easy going,

It's a heartache either way,
It can cause heartbreak regardless,

But beautiful!
But in the end, it's still magnificent!