Danny Mixon, the pianist and composer whose harmonic phrasing earned him recognition as a first-call pianist with the likes of Grant Green, Art Blakey, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Eddie Jefferson, died on May 1 at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He was 76 and had battled prostate cancer for many years, as confirmed by a family spokesperson.
Mixon’s stimulating musical journey explored a storied piano jazz history from his five decades of experience. The pianist, arranger, and composer was underrated on the jazz radar screen but his music and contribution to the field is a big deal.
He perfected the art of stride piano, similar to his legendary predecessors James P. Johnson and Fats Waller. As his many trios demonstrated, he was not stuck in one style — he mastered the entire piano with elegant flair, from deep melodic tones to tickling the pearly keys with short, playful notes reminiscent of Count Basie. “This is a part of my life that I lived — it’s the spirituality of playing piano, not playing a ton of notes,” Mixon told me during a 2015 AmNews interview.
For many years, Mixon performed with vocalist Antoinette Montage. “He called me his musical partner. We were a musical marriage who soared with high-power energy, creativity, and love,” said Montague. He played music with a feeling of openness and clarity that gave Montague freedom to swing into the blues, ballads, or fast-moving scats. His signature style enticed a variety of music titans to hire him, including Kenny Dorham, Pharoah Sanders, Joe Williams, Ben Vereen, Liza Minnelli, and Yusef Lateef.
The consummate sideman was often busy with his own trio or quartet, arranging, composing, and touring. His many trios revolved with such artists as Earl Grice, Nate Lucas, Bryce Sebastian, James Stewart, Winard Harper, McClenty Hunter, and Melissa Slocum. He was an avid supporter of Jazzmobile and performed on a regular basis. He was an instructor at Jazzmobile and a professor at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.
“As a friend, father, and grandfather, he was deeply committed; without hesitation, I can say Danny was a loving and devoted family man,” said Robin Bell-Stevens, a friend. “It saddens me to realize that the last time [has passed that] I will be able to say to an audience, ‘… and on piano, it’s the maestro, Danny Mixon, and together they are the Danny Mixon Quartet.’”
In 2004, Mixon was one of the first musicians to be honored by the National Jazz Museum in Harlem in a series entitled “Harlem Speaks,” which resulted in an invitation to the White House for Black Music Month. A longtime resident of Brooklyn, the pianist was given his own day, as decreed by Borough President Mark Markowitz: “Danny Mixon Day” in Brooklyn in 2011.
During Harlem’s zenith, the Lenox Lounge proprietor Al Reed hired Mixon as musical director. He was responsible for bringing in such noted performers as legendary vocalist Irene Reid, Craig Holiday Haynes, and Bill Lee, who introduced the young trumpeter Theo Croker. For a short period, he was music director at the historic Minton’s Playhouse until its closing in 2012.
“Danny was a dear friend and collaborator. He helped us define what our organization can do,” said Will Glass of the Jazz Foundation of America. “He performed at parks, hospitals, and senior citizen centers, bringing deep swing and great joy. He was a constant inspiration to the whole jazz community and will be deeply missed.”
Daniel Asbury Mixon was born on August 19, 1949, in Harlem. Raised in Brooklyn, he grew up in a musical household, influenced by his mother and grandparents at an early age. He immediately took to dancing and studied tap dancing at Harlem’s then popular Ruth Williams Dance Studio. At the High School of Performing Arts, he majored in dance (ballet and modern), but became so inspired after watching jazz performances at the Apollo Theater with his grandfather that he switched to piano. Mixon’s grandparents started his piano lessons at age 12. He said his grandfather was always playing recordings of Sonny Stitt, Dizzy Gillespie, and Louie Prima.
At the age of 17, Mixon joined trumpeter Sam Brown’s band, backing Patti LaBelle & the Blue Bells in Atlantic City. After a stint with the inventive vocalist Joe Lee Wilson (1967–1970), he became Betty Carter’s regular pianist from 1971–1972. Jazz impresario Jim Harrison played a role in his working with Betty Carter. “I learned a lot from Betty,” said Mixon.
Mixon credited the bassist Chris White (Dizzy Gillespie and Nina Simone) as an influential mentor in his life. He was an alumnus of the ferocious boot camp of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.
After Mixon sat in with saxophonist/composer Frank Foster at Brooklyn’s Muse Arts Center, Foster immediately took him under his wing. Mixon continuously played for Foster’s Big Band, his Loud Minority, and his quartet the Non-Electric Company. “Frank was like my college education. He was my mentor and great friend,” Mixon said.
“Danny and I met in [the] 1960s. We were involved with the Muse Art Center culture exchange program, [which] took us to Italy. I remember we didn’t even have passports at that young age in 1968,” said saxophonist Bill Saxton. “Over the years, we were always playing together, either in Frank Foster’s Big Band, Mingus Dynasty, or with Clarke Terry, and others. Danny was always able to find a great melody to fit in the moment. He had a great musical wit for inserting cartoon melodies into any composition and making it work — it was funny and genius at the same time. I will miss him and all his melodies.”
Mixon released six CDs as a leader; one of his last recordings is titled “Pass It On,” which received critical acclaim as one of his best efforts. “These are tunes I believe people need to hear and standards that I wanted to present in a different way,” said Mixon. “The only way to keep this jazz tradition going is to pass it on because it was passed on to me. I want to lift audiences spiritually, make them feel better than they did before.”
Mixon is survived by Cheryl Alavanet, his partner of 20 years; his brother Robert Mixon; son Jaesyn Mixon; daughter-in-law Dr. Sonyja Mixon; and his grandchildren Carlyn Mixon and Hunter Mixon.
A memorial for Mixon is being planned.