DANNY MIXON
(212) 636-9262
P.O. Box 020990
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11202
A prolific piano virtuoso who has performed in the U.S. and Internationally, Daniel Asbury Mixon was born on August 19, 1949 in Harlem and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up in a musical household he was influenced by his mother and grandparents beginning his early artistic expression at the age of 3. He studied and performed as a tap dancer at the Ruth Williams Dance Studio and even then was known as “The Show Stopper.” Danny attended the High School of Performing Arts with dance as his major.
During an afternoon outing at the Apollo Theater with his grandfather Danny was inspired by the jazz musicians he heard. It was then that he decided that he would like to be a pianist and he never once looked back. At the age of thirteen Danny began piano lessons. His most memorable piano instructor was Sir Roland Hanna. By the time Danny was 17, he was invited to play with Sam Brown and Patti Labelle and the Blue Bells in Atlantic City and two years later he found himself with the Muse Quartet under the auspices of Chris White.
Among his earlier credits Danny played regularly with Joe Lee Wilson from 1967 to 1970, Betty Carter from 1971 to 1973 and recorded and played extensively with Charles Mingus and Dannie Richmond in the late 70’s. He also began playing the organ at Brooklyn’s Baby Grand with Carlos Garnet, and accompanied Big Mabelle at the Blue Coronet. In the mid 90’s he appeared regularly at Showman’s as an organist.
Danny has worked with such legendary performers as Lionel Hampton, Joe Williams, and Frank Foster and continues to be in Frank Fosters’ Loud Minority Big Band and his Non-Electric Company. He was honored to have participated in the first Newport Jazz Festival at Sea on the Queen Elizabeth 2. He was also a recipient along with Max Roach for the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation Jazz Appreciation award and in December, 2002 was awarded the Harlem Unsung Heroes of African American Classical Music award.
In May of this year Danny 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 on June 22nd.
Danny’s greatest joy is performing, composing, and arranging for his own group, “The Danny Mixon Trio,” and has just completed his new CD entitled “On My Way”. He has also performed, toured and/or recorded with Yuseef Lateef, Hank Crawford, Savion Glover, Pharoah Sanders, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Stanley Turrentine, Gene Ammons, Eubie Blake, Noel Pointer, Jimmy Witherspoon, Grant Green, Eddie Jefferson, Charles McPherson, Marlena Shaw, Irene Reid, Houston Pearson, Dakota Staton, Ben Vereen, Leon Thomas, Chaka Khan, Cassandra Wilson, Lou Rawls, Gloria Lynne, Lisle Atkinson, Oscar Brown, Jr., John Hendricks, Pucho and the Latin Soul Brothers, Earl May, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Kenny Dorham and many others.
In April of 2002, Danny was privileged to take part in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah while performing with Savion Glover, and also performed at the International “Fall in Jazz Festival” in Milan, Italy. From November 1-8, 2003, h e performed for the second time aboard the Holland America ms Zaandam Jazz Cruise.
Danny is currently the Musical Director of the Legendary Lenox Lounge and is an instructor and performance artist with the Jazzmobile as well as giving private instructions in his own studio.
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