Rocco is in da house! Baddest bass player EVER! Salute to Mic such an amazing brass man. The Doctor, and Emilio! I will always love TOP. Finest musicians on the planet. 50 years and still killing it! Feb. 14th is my birthday and this was a real treat.
Wow. I am so very saddened to learn of this. Mic Gillette was one of my trumpet playing heroes. Ever since being introduced to Tower of Power back in the early 70s I just marveled at his ability to play the trumpet and trombone interchangeably...and at various times during the same gig. I would watch in awe at concerts when he did this and so wished I could do the same. Now...he's gone. Such a huge loss and I for one will miss his artistic talent. Rest in Peace, Mic.
He was amazing with Cold Blood, too. If you've never heard his work on "Shop Talk" you are in for a treat. It's from Cold Blood's LP "Sisyphus." Mic has a writing credit on that track as well. I was in 7th grade when that joint came out. Here is the link: ua-cam.com/video/tnU3Xb1TEYc/v-deo.html Enjoy!
RIP Mic. For all the time I spent at TOP shows he's the only guy I ever had a beer with (Long Branch in Berkeley). He was always friendly to me. Years later my sons were at a TOP show at the Fillmore and my youngest, 14 at the time, had a great conversation with him. He'd just come back from the East Coast and hadn't played with Tower in many years, not to mention he'd just had major surgery. About six or seven years ago my oldest and I were in Stockton for a TOP show and right after sound check my son went to grab a beer and he does he come back with, none other than Mic. We had a great talk. I will miss him.
It says so much about the quality of his character, that his last performance should be while mentoring a teen student. One of the greats, and one of Troy Andrew's inspirations on both trumpet and trombone. This man paved the way for so many of us, in what was possible beyond what we were taught in school. All we had to do was listen, and knew he broke the mold.
Perry Parsons Mic was never hesitant to put his students in the spotlight, and Josh, to this day, still plays with Tower of Power whenever they are in the same city at the same time. Mic Gillette was a dear, dear soul.
Mic is the man! Not only was his horn playing over the top, but his great backing vocals will forever be missed from TP! Best wishes to one of my all time favorite horn men!
I got the pleasure of seeing Mic play trumpet and bone with The Sons of Champlin in 2007 at Humphrey's Lounge. He played with the best and he gave them his best. Dude could blow!
Hey Josh, hope all is well! You know, I keep coming back to this video as I find it very moving. You were very blessed to study trumpet with Mic. He was such a wonderful guy and a great trumpet player. It was really cool to see you at such a young age playing with Tower of Power! When I watch this, it is like Mic is passing the torch to you! You are a great trumpet player Josh and I look forward to hearing you play in the years to come! God bless!
Wow, thank you so much. I am grateful for your kind message, as well as for the inspiration and opportunities that I was so fortunate to receive from Mic!!
Thank you so much....that is a night I'll certainly never forget. Mic means the world to me, and it was an honor, as always, to play with all the Tower guys.
Thank you Mic for Tower of Power and many outstanding memories of my youth revisited by spinning the bands vinyl... Your hot horn driven East Bay Grease Funk will live forever as will your legacy as long as youngsters like Josh play on generation after generation!! R.I.P. Mic Gillette!
The greatest of all horn driven bands. With the premier West Coast brass man Mr Mic Gillette. Mic was instrumental in my personal music career, thank you Mic Gillette. We performed together in the Studio in SF at Wally Heider’s for Jimmy Foot and the Athletes. He gained more studio work for me on Tenor and Baritone Sax st Different Fur and The Record Plant, later in Lodi at NACNUD Studio for Doc Kupka’s 1st Strokeland Superband Album with Tower of Power and other stars where I overdubbed and corrected 7-8 sax tracks on that CD. Mic could perform for hours and go on to play with Tower of Power for a concert, he was an Iron Man, the best trumpet chops on the planet.
I never got a chance to meet him or see him live but from what I've seen on video looks like he had a super personality and would have been a blast to hang out with. RIP Mic
First of all, the young man blows me away! It's obvious he learned a lot from Mic. That said, one year ago today the horn section in heaven gained a helluva lead brass player!
Will be greatly missed, but the big band above has got him now. All that music is waiting for all of us if u believe. God bless Mic. RIP!!!! 😎🦅🏍⚒☠️⚡️🌎🇺🇸🏥🦠🏥🙏
I had no idea he passed. So sad. He used to stay weekends at our lakehouse during the summer when I was a kid. My dad used to play organ in bands with him way back in the day.
Today would have been Mic's 65th birthday. He did SO MUCH for Music Education- more than people know. I wish that some Music Scholarships, specifically for brass players would be set up by his wealthy friends. Words of tribute are one thing........
Class of 69 Mission boys, and Mic so much for the public school kids today, great guy. Hre played with Cold Blood, Tower of Power, Sons of Champlin, and Santana to name a few. The French Brothers
Larry Braggs is my favorite of all the incredible lead singers TOP has had through the decades, dating back to Rick Stevens. And what can you say about Mic? Loved him always.
I sat with Mrs. Gillette, this was the early show 2/14/11. Mic and Larry Braggs had a beef between shows and that was the end of his second TOP run. Class act Mic Gillette.
Mic from Battleground,Washington ❤…..We had so much FUN in Japan late 1970. And also at Columbia Gorge. RIP please continue to sing in the heavens 🙏🙏🙏.
So sad to hear about Mic...He will be sorely missed :( I had the awesome honor to be asked to film him and Rick Stevens, the original singer, for this song last year with The Pacific Brass & Electric Band. It was their first reunion after 36 years of Rick being in Prison. Since I can't post the youtube link here, just check out my name and it's one of the first videos there.
I heard this through the doors from the restaurant that night, excited to see the second show. After we were seated we were crushed to learn Mic had left for the night. I still remember the first time I saw TOP play; in around 1971 at the Montclair Recreation Center in Oakland!
I was a trumpet major at Cal-State Hayward where Mic went to school and watched him go from there to Cold Blood and then Tower. I always loved his beautiful tone and intonation in the upper register, rarely done better by anyone. Peace, brother and thank you.
Thank you for mentioning Mic's association with Cold Blood. They were amazing! Mic's gift was truly unique! I'm so glad that we have video of his incredible man's awesome work. Salute to Mic!
A little while back I had an exchange with Mic on Facebook where we shared a good laugh. I screenshotted it, and thank heaven, within a month he was gone. 😥
As a youth Mic would come by a few of the bands I played trumpet in and it was just being like blown away by a sound I have never heard quite like him. I will never forget the way his horn would just ring through your entire body. A truly great dude and I am grateful to have crossed paths with him.
NO ONE can hold Mic Gillette on the trombone!!! - grew up loving trombones [trumpet players get all the glory - same with lead guitars], somebody has to hold the bottom in band brass...working with my gifts.
I was born in 1976, my mother (who just passed away) would play TOP, I grew up playing this on trumpet…my grandfather taught me to play! I think it was a great subliminal message! Just to play funk!
I heard something about this but the reasons seemed too trivial to believe. I've talked to him at shows for forty plus years. My youngest son's first TOP show was at the Filmore when Mic was just coming back off of by-pass surgery and they chatted for a while after he got off stage. I'll never forget My oldest going to get a beer at a Stockton show a few years ago, and coming back twenty minutes later and Mic is bringing me a beer. I'll miss him.
@Quintessentguy Mic is definitely alive and well...and doing great. But, unfortunately, as the title of this video states, this was the last performance he'll ever do with Tower of Power. It's a long story but, suffice it to say, it was great while it lasted, and he left of his own accord.
Why is this the last recording for Mic and TOP? Has he quit the band? (I checked to make sure he did not die!) Anyway, if he left, he came back before. I have been seeing and listening to TOP in the bay area since the beginning. They kick ass, I was at the 40 year reunion which was the best TOP concert ever, IMHO. :)
@@bigeyezzzzzzz Geeeee Whizzzz, now that you mentioned it... Emilio did introduce the young man. duh! DOn't know how I missed that. Hey "You're Still A Young Man" They must be singing about him. (ha ha)
I went to school with Mic. A good friend of mine. We graduated from Mission San Jose high school in 1969. Loved him.
He knew the heart of young brass jazz band players. My son got to know him. Generous and kind. He adored his wife and daughter.
Rocco is in da house! Baddest bass player EVER! Salute to Mic such an amazing brass man. The Doctor, and Emilio! I will always love TOP. Finest musicians on the planet. 50 years and still killing it! Feb. 14th is my birthday and this was a real treat.
Absolutely. REAL musicians.
Still brings a lump to my throat knowing this great, GREAT, horn player has moved on to the next plane. Sadly missed.
Yeah me too , we will all be there enjoying this man soon enough. He's in a better place, god bless you all.
With honors of a Gentlemen n great Horn Player I’m sure he’s found Heaven
He was still A Young Man. Rest in Peace and thank you for the good times at your concerts.
Brass Kicks Ass. Gone but never forgotten. RIP Mic.
Wow. I am so very saddened to learn of this. Mic Gillette was one of my trumpet playing heroes. Ever since being introduced to Tower of Power back in the early 70s I just marveled at his ability to play the trumpet and trombone interchangeably...and at various times during the same gig. I would watch in awe at concerts when he did this and so wished I could do the same.
Now...he's gone. Such a huge loss and I for one will miss his artistic talent.
Rest in Peace, Mic.
He was amazing with Cold Blood, too. If you've never heard his work on "Shop Talk" you are in for a treat. It's from Cold Blood's LP "Sisyphus." Mic has a writing credit on that track as well. I was in 7th grade when that joint came out. Here is the link: ua-cam.com/video/tnU3Xb1TEYc/v-deo.html Enjoy!
RIP Mic. For all the time I spent at TOP shows he's the only guy I ever had a beer with (Long Branch in Berkeley). He was always friendly to me. Years later my sons were at a TOP show at the Fillmore and my youngest, 14 at the time, had a great conversation with him. He'd just come back from the East Coast and hadn't played with Tower in many years, not to mention he'd just had major surgery. About six or seven years ago my oldest and I were in Stockton for a TOP show and right after sound check my son went to grab a beer and he does he come back with, none other than Mic. We had a great talk. I will miss him.
It says so much about the quality of his character, that his last performance should be while mentoring a teen student. One of the greats, and one of Troy Andrew's inspirations on both trumpet and trombone.
This man paved the way for so many of us, in what was possible beyond what we were taught in school. All we had to do was listen, and knew he broke the mold.
Perry Parsons Mic was never hesitant to put his students in the spotlight, and Josh, to this day, still plays with Tower of Power whenever they are in the same city at the same time. Mic Gillette was a dear, dear soul.
Mic is the man! Not only was his horn playing over the top, but his great backing vocals will forever be missed from TP! Best wishes to one of my all time favorite horn men!
What a fabulous trumpet player! May you RIP, Mic. I saw Tower of Power at the Cascade Theater in Redding. One of the best shows I have ever seen!
I got the pleasure of seeing Mic play trumpet and bone with The Sons of Champlin in 2007 at Humphrey's Lounge. He played with the best and he gave them his best. Dude could blow!
Hey Josh, hope all is well! You know, I keep coming back to this video as I find it very moving. You were very blessed to study trumpet with Mic. He was such a wonderful guy and a great trumpet player. It was really cool to see you at such a young age playing with Tower of Power! When I watch this, it is like Mic is passing the torch to you! You are a great trumpet player Josh and I look forward to hearing you play in the years to come! God bless!
Wow, thank you so much. I am grateful for your kind message, as well as for the inspiration and opportunities that I was so fortunate to receive from Mic!!
@@bigeyezzzzzzz I saw you do the "Anthem" a couple of times w/Mic................My favorite versions.
@@parkermills3328 Thank you so much - those are great memories of mine as well. 🤗
RIP Mic.... There's one hell of a horn player in heaven today.
I loved this group growing up, old school soul with fantastic horn players, and the embellishment at the end is incredibly beautiful.
And you also.
We loved you Mic. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. East Bay friends.
Thank you so much....that is a night I'll certainly never forget. Mic means the world to me, and it was an honor, as always, to play with all the Tower guys.
Thank you Mic for Tower of Power and many outstanding memories of my youth revisited by spinning the bands vinyl... Your hot horn driven East Bay Grease Funk will live forever as will your legacy as long as youngsters like Josh play on generation after generation!! R.I.P. Mic Gillette!
The greatest of all horn driven bands. With the premier West Coast brass man Mr Mic Gillette. Mic was instrumental in my personal music career, thank you Mic Gillette.
We performed together in the Studio in SF at Wally Heider’s for Jimmy Foot and the Athletes. He gained more studio work for me on Tenor and Baritone Sax st Different Fur and The Record Plant, later in Lodi at NACNUD Studio for Doc Kupka’s 1st Strokeland Superband Album with Tower of Power and other stars where I overdubbed and corrected 7-8 sax tracks on that CD.
Mic could perform for hours and go on to play with Tower of Power for a concert, he was an Iron Man, the best trumpet chops on the planet.
I never got a chance to meet him or see him live but from what I've seen on video looks like he had a super personality and would have been a blast to hang out with. RIP Mic
Mic Gillette! Even his name is funky! R.I.P. Mic. I could hear those high notes in heaven!
Love the beautiful trombone embellishments by Mic just before the very end.
First of all, the young man blows me away! It's obvious he learned a lot from Mic.
That said, one year ago today the horn section in heaven gained a helluva lead brass player!
Ryan Hall Well said!!
Will be greatly missed, but the big band above has got him now. All that music is waiting for all of us if u believe. God bless Mic. RIP!!!! 😎🦅🏍⚒☠️⚡️🌎🇺🇸🏥🦠🏥🙏
I had no idea he passed. So sad. He used to stay weekends at our lakehouse during the summer when I was a kid. My dad used to play organ in bands with him way back in the day.
Mind blowing. So great. Thanks for the memories :-)
Today would have been Mic's 65th birthday. He did SO MUCH for Music Education- more than people know. I wish that some Music Scholarships, specifically for brass players would be set up by his wealthy friends. Words of tribute are one thing........
My class of 1969 Mission San Jose High School in Fremont CA have set up a scholarship in Mic's name
Class of 69 Mission boys, and Mic so much for the public school kids today, great guy.
Hre played with Cold Blood, Tower of Power, Sons of Champlin, and Santana to name a few.
The French Brothers
Rip Mic. You will be missed.
Larry Braggs is my favorite of all the incredible lead singers TOP has had through the decades, dating back to Rick Stevens. And what can you say about Mic? Loved him always.
I sat with Mrs. Gillette, this was the early show 2/14/11. Mic and Larry Braggs had a beef between shows and that was the end of his second TOP run. Class act Mic Gillette.
Mission San Jose High School along with the music world is ''DAMN '' proud of you Mic' ...congrats on a great career!!!!
What a legend. Gonna miss him and his badass playing.
Mic from Battleground,Washington ❤…..We had so much FUN in Japan late 1970. And also at Columbia Gorge. RIP please continue to sing in the heavens 🙏🙏🙏.
Perfection! After all this time! I'm in goosebumps!
Great post! I really miss hearing and seeing brother Mic on stage with the fella's!!!!
So sad to hear about Mic...He will be sorely missed :(
I had the awesome honor to be asked to film him and Rick Stevens, the original singer, for this song last year with The Pacific Brass & Electric Band. It was their first reunion after 36 years of Rick being in Prison. Since I can't post the youtube link here, just check out my name and it's one of the first videos there.
Rest In Peace Mic Gillette, Thanks for all the Great music.. So Sad..
R.I.P. Mic. You will be missed!
Love this band!!!!
I heard this through the doors from the restaurant that night, excited to see the second show. After we were seated we were crushed to learn Mic had left for the night.
I still remember the first time I saw TOP play; in around 1971 at the Montclair Recreation Center in Oakland!
Deeply missed.He now is in the hands of the great creator..But this music is untouchable.
I"m young again,. Can't hide from my memories.It"s all good Regrets? I have a few but too few to mention .
RIP Mic, we will never forget you.
I was a trumpet major at Cal-State Hayward where Mic went to school and watched him go from there to Cold Blood and then Tower. I always loved his beautiful tone and intonation in the upper register, rarely done better by anyone. Peace, brother and thank you.
Thank you for mentioning Mic's association with Cold Blood. They were amazing! Mic's gift was truly unique! I'm so glad that we have video of his incredible man's awesome work. Salute to Mic!
LOVE THIS GROUP...R.I.P. MIC...
A brilliant career.
RIP Mick. My brother Joe and cousin Johny have good memories of living as neighbor's on Mission in Hayward
Mic. Rest in peace man. Thanks for giving me a chance to rock with the best. Music wasn't for me though. I appreciate that you believed in me.
Thanks for the music. Mr. Mic. RIP, Sir.
@MrsMeggieMac Thank you so much, Megan. Mic means the world to me, and I can only imagine how difficult it was for you to see this video...
A little while back I had an exchange with Mic on Facebook where we shared a good laugh. I screenshotted it, and thank heaven, within a month he was gone. 😥
Dam Kid got yo play with Tower Of Power........WOW!
I was at this show. RIP Mic
I really liked Mic with The Sons. I don't think they ever sounded better.......1982-A kicks ass.......
As a youth Mic would come by a few of the bands I played trumpet in and it was just being like blown away by a sound I have never heard quite like him. I will never forget the way his horn would just ring through your entire body. A truly great dude and I am grateful to have crossed paths with him.
Wonderful!
Mic invested well in Josh, he is a super horn player and musician.
Mic was a Kool Dude. Sad to learn of his passing!
The singer is the icing on the cake!
Too young to die. RIP Mic
NO ONE can hold Mic Gillette on the trombone!!! - grew up loving trombones [trumpet players get all the glory - same with lead guitars], somebody has to hold the bottom in band brass...working with my gifts.
R.I.P. Mic. God bless.
@destructivetothebone Thanks to you for all your kind words.
I was born in 1976, my mother (who just passed away) would play TOP, I grew up playing this on trumpet…my grandfather taught me to play! I think it was a great subliminal message! Just to play funk!
RIP, Mic.
I heard something about this but the reasons seemed too trivial to believe. I've talked to him at shows for forty plus years. My youngest son's first TOP show was at the Filmore when Mic was just coming back off of by-pass surgery and they chatted for a while after he got off stage. I'll never forget My oldest going to get a beer at a Stockton show a few years ago, and coming back twenty minutes later and Mic is bringing me a beer. I'll miss him.
@Quintessentguy Mic is definitely alive and well...and doing great. But, unfortunately, as the title of this video states, this was the last performance he'll ever do with Tower of Power. It's a long story but, suffice it to say, it was great while it lasted, and he left of his own accord.
Emelio brought me here... said Mic isone of the greatest horn players ever.
Such an intense trumpet intro to a song
Mic got in a fight with Larry Braggs between shows. Although Larry denies it, he bullied around a lot of people.
5 original TOP remembers this night
This was the first show. Mic & Larry B got in a beef between shows, as I was sitting with Mrs. Mic G.
"......Ba-by!!!! woohoo!"
Thanks Mic
I miss him already...
I miss you Mic.
R.I.P. Mic.....01/16/2016
Thanks Mic! RIP
The words best and greatest are not good enough. All you have to say is Tower of Power!!!!!!
Very few (if any) can blow lead trumpet AND lead trombone like Mic! Great musician.
YOU ARE THE best!
Mic was a beast.
The brass kicks ass...RIP Mic....
lol, hard for the old guys to get up after the "down on my knees" part.
The lead singer is really something, too.
Wow...good job Josh. This video is really hard for me to watch though.
Hi @bigeyezzzzzzz Did you take this photo/video? If so, may ABC News & its licensees use it w/o limitation in all media?
+Stacy Tiffin Thanks for writing, Stacy. I just replied to you in a private message.
Any one know who the guitar player sitting in was?
RIP Mic Gillette
Why is this the last recording for Mic and TOP? Has he quit the band? (I checked to make sure he did not die!) Anyway, if he left, he came back before. I have been seeing and listening to TOP in the bay area since the beginning. They kick ass, I was at the 40 year reunion which was the best TOP concert ever, IMHO. :)
B E A U T I F U L
RIP Mic
RIP
@bigeyezzzzzzz Long story please.
Is that Mic Gillette's son next to him?
Nope, that's trumpeter, Josh Shpak (who Mic often invited to sit in with TOP).
@@bigeyezzzzzzz Geeeee Whizzzz, now that you mentioned it... Emilio did introduce the young man. duh! DOn't know how I missed that. Hey "You're Still A Young Man" They must be singing about him. (ha ha)
Who is Bill W.?
wait, i thought i was here for streetlight.
Didn't ' Mic Play with Cold Blood Cold Blood had the baddest singing soulful white chick I have ever heard and her name was Lydia Pense
Tower of Power IS BAD!
RIP