BIOGRAPHY
Mitchell has a passion for entrepreneurship and acquired a business degree from the University of Phoenix. In 1999 Mitchell Player started and owned a New Orleans music-booking agency Player Productions Inc. that booked internationally known trumpeter Leroy Jones exclusively. Mitch has produced, co produced and worked in production capacity with festivals such as Gretna Heritage Festival, MPB Jazz Festival, Treme Fall Festival etc…Currently Mitch is owner and director of 504 Expereince LLC that strives to bring New Orleans entertainment and experience to the world through live music, event and festival productions.
Mitchell Player is a native of Shreveport Louisiana. However, Mitchell has been residing in New Orleans Louisiana since 1994 and considers it home. Mitch began playing the string bass in elementary school at the age of nine years old and electric bass at sixteen years of age. Mitch began with classical studies under the direction of Johnette Parker Le Blanc then progressed on to jazz studies at Northwood High School under the direction of Larry Parnell. Mitch began his professional career performing with several symphonies and orchestras early on as a young man; Marshall (TX), Shreveport, Ruston, Baton Rouge (LA) and Biloxi (MS) are some orchestras performed with to name a few. Mitch attended and performed in the legendary Grambling State University Tiger Marching Band’s Sideline Combo. Mitch took his very first international trip in 1988 with Grambling Band to perform at the Coca Cola Bowl in the Tokyo Dome.
After moving to New Orleans to pursue a career as a jazz musician in 1994 throughout the years Mitchell performed with many jazz greats. Mitchell has performed with Dr. Michael White, Wallace Davenport, Leroy Jones, Ellis, Wynton, Jason, Branford and Delfayo Marsalis, Lawrence “King” Cotton, Jewel Brown, John Brunious, Wendell Brunious, Mark Braud, Lucien Barbarin, Greg Stafford, Dave Bartholomew, Mac Rebennack, Shannon Powell, Phyllis Hyman, Percy Sledge, Brian Blade, Herlin Riley, Dick Hyman, Germaine Bazzle, Bernard ‘Bunchy” Johnson, Allen Toussaint, Tricia Boutte, Bob French, Jimmy Heath and many other local as well as international musicians. Mitchell performs regularly at the Preservation Hall Jazz Club and performed at the Maison Bourbon Jazz Club as well where he led his own band The Players New Orleans Jazz Band in 1999. Mitchell is currently the Creative Director of Grammy Considered Players Ella & Louie Tribute Band which dedicates itself to music honoring the lives of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Mitch also performs regularly with the famed New Orleans Jazz Vipers every Monday night at the Spotted Cat Music Club on Frenchmen Street. Mitchell has traveled the world extensively performing at jazz festivals and other jazz venues throughout the years.
Performance and Production International Travels include: Brazil, China, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey and Taiwan. Some National and International Venues and festivals include:
Ford International Jazz Festival (Detroit, Michigan)
Green Dolphin Street (Chicago, Illinois)
House of Blues Harvard Square (Boston, Massachusetts)
House of Blues (Chicago, Illinois)
Marblehead Jazz Festival (Marblehead, Massachusetts)
Montreal International Jazz Festival (Quebec, Canada)
New Orleans Jazz &Heritage Festival (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Sculler’s Jazz Club (Boston, Massachusetts)
Telluride Jazz Fest (Telluride Colorado)
Aspen Jazz Fest (Aspen Colorado)
April Jazz Festival (Espoo, Finland)
Ascona Jazz Festival (Ascona, Switzerland)
Storyville Jazz Club (Helsinki, Finland)
Vitoria Jazz Festival (Vitoria Spain)
Jazz in Marciac (Marciac France)
Bourbon Street Fest (Sao Paulo & Paraty Brasil)
MPB Jazz (Natal Brasil)
Oslo Jazz Festival (Oslo Norway)
Haugesund Jazz Fest (H. Norway)