John Mayall made a righteous effort to assist both Blue Mitchell and Freddy Robinson (bka: Abu Talib):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPyZUszT_nI from 1972 with outstanding runs from the reeds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP1eK77siX4 (Whilst Mayall's harmonica is "in the way" from my perspective, Blue Mitchell takes over a couple of minutes into the song)
Mayall had both Robinson and Mitchell on, I believe, three albums. Both guys went back out on their own because Mayall, as is his way switched it up ("What did you come here for? To listen to an old record album?")....and two more players bite the dust.
And I am not so sure or certain at all that Mitchell had greater problem with smack than the rest of us: In fact, I don't believe he had anything approaching a habit