 Mitch Bell (photo provided) A graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma's celebrated Jazz Studies program, Mitch Bell discovered his love for the guitar at the age of ten. In the years since, he has performed and recorded as a jazz, funk, and rock guitarist. Mitch established himself as a highly sought after studio guitarist and has come into his own as a young emerging jazz musician. As a leader, Mitch has recorded one album, Live at The Jazz Lab (2004) with the Mitch Bell Trio. Mitch's composing combines a great respect for the century-long jazz tradition with explorations into the rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic realms of contemporary forms. The Mitch Bell Group, in its various figures, has performed at many jazz festivals across Oklahoma and Kansas, and performs regularly at a variety of venues in Oklahoma City.
As a sideman, Mitch has appeared with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra, Edmond Jazz Orchestra, the University of Central Oklahoma Jazz Ensemble I, worked with trumpeter Byron Stripling, and become the primary studio guitarist for Music Group Studios in Edmond, Oklahoma. He recently received a scholarship to attend the 2005 Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music, where he performed with Dave Douglas and Greg Osby, and studied with over a dozen other professional musicians. Mitch currently lives in Edmond, Oklahoma, where he freelances, teaches and plays with his trio. He plans to begin work on his master’s degree in the fall of 2007. “We are so excited about this new Jazz in the Gallery series” says Nancy McClellan, PAS Director. “It is an opportunity to feature outstanding jazz musicians in the region and add another genre to the concerts we are able to offer our community.” In addition to the concert, those attending can enjoy the Pizza Platters and Pottery Show on display on depot walls. Jazz in the Gallery is made possible in part by grants from the Norman Arts Council, the Oklahoma Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Corporate Sponsor is Arvest Bank. For additional information about this and other Performing Arts Studio programs, call PAS at 405-307-9320. |
