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.
Sweet and Lovely
Blue Mitchell Lyrics
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Sweet and lovely heaven must have sent her my way
Skies above me never were as blue as her eyes
And she loves me, who would want a sweeter surprise
When she nestles in my arms so tenderly
There's a thrill that words cannot express
In my heart a song of love is taunting me, melody, haunting me
And she loves me, there is nothing more I can say
Sweet and lovely sweeter than the roses in May
Sweet and lovely heaven must have sent her my way
Skies above me never were as blue as her eyes
And she loves me, who would want a sweeter surprise
When she nestles in my arms so tenderly
There's a thrill that words cannot express
In my heart a song of love is taunting me, melody, haunting me
Sweet and lovely sweeter than the roses in May
And she loves me, there is nothing more I can say
The lyrics to "Sweet and Lovely" by Blue Mitchell are a tribute to a woman who is described as being sweeter than the roses in May, and who must have been sent from heaven. The singer marvels at the beauty of her eyes, which he says make the skies above him seem less blue. He also talks about the love they share, which he describes as a sweet surprise.
The singer goes on to describe the feeling he gets when she nestles in his arms, saying that it's a thrill that words cannot express. He is haunted by a melody that represents his love for her, and he can't help but sing it over and over again.
Overall, the lyrics celebrate the beauty and sweetness of both the woman and their love. They describe the singer's awe and gratitude that someone so perfect could have come into his life, and express his desire to cherish and protect her always.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweet and lovely sweeter than the roses in May
My love is so sweet and wonderful, she surpasses even the lovely roses of May.
Sweet and lovely heaven must have sent her my way
She must have been a gift from the heavens, for she fills me with joy and love.
Skies above me never were as blue as her eyes
Looking into her beautiful blue eyes fills me with wonder, as the skies have never matched their beauty.
And she loves me, who would want a sweeter surprise
To feel her love is the sweetest gift of all, there could be nothing better.
When she nestles in my arms so tenderly
Holding her in my arms is a tender, loving moment that fills me with peace.
There's a thrill that words cannot express
The emotions that surge within me when I am holding her are beyond words and indescribable.
In my heart a song of love is taunting me, melody, haunting me
My heart sings a beautiful love song when I am with her, it is haunting and mesmerizing.
And she loves me, there is nothing more I can say
To be loved by her is the most fulfilling thing I could ever ask for, there are no words to describe it.
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, HARRY TOBIAS MUSIC COMPANY, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Charles N. Daniels, Gus Arnheim, Harry Tobias
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
seymour kuperman
Excellent version, good rhythm.
davey ewart
very nice
Caleb Orvik
Herb!!!!!🤤