Mic Gillette

Mic Gillette is an amazing trumpet and trombone player, vocalist, and a member of one of the best bands ever, The Sons Of Champlin.  He previously spent 19 years as a member of the legendary  Tower of Power.  Mic still does occasional guest appearances at TOP concerts as well as on their albums.  He has also spent time as a member of Cold Blood and Blood, Sweat, and Tears.  In addition to this, Mic has played on a lot of other artists' albums.

Mic is also a part of  Strokeland Superband,  a band featuring many Tower of Power members as well as guest artists.  (Bill Champlin is one of the guest vocalists.)  Mic did horn arrangements for their CD, "Kick It Up A Step" as well as performing on the album.  Sound files and track information are available at the web site by clicking on the "Kick It Up A Step!" link. You can also order the CD. Check out the new   Official Mic Gillette Web Site  for news, calendar, discography, equipment, etc. Mic also has a children's cassette, "Newvo Kids", available.

You can also visit  Mic's Personal Web Site  on AOL.

(Photo by Kate Faes)

As a member of The Sons of Champlin, I've been amazed at the power and stamina Mic has when playing.  I've seen him go from trumpet, to trombone, to vocals, and back again... between breaths, and he never misses a note.  I've also seen him playing the trumpet upside down.  Incredible.

Mic also adds a lot of fun to gigs with his off-beat sense of humor and his interplay with other members of the band.  And he's a nice guy too, always willing to chat with fans.

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Terry Haggerty

Terry Haggerty is, without a doubt, one of the greatest guitarists there is! He was one of the original members of my favorite band, The Sons Of Champlin.  And when the newest incarnation of the band was formed in 1997, Terry was once again a part of the magic and the music that is The Sons of Champlin.  And believe me, they are AWESOME!

However, Terry decided in the fall of 2001, to leave the band to pursue another project that is near and dear to his heart, "The Haggertys".  This band is a family affair, including Terry's brother, Tim Haggerty, on bass and his nephew, Aaron Haggerty on drums. Terry does have a web site, thanks to his son acting as designer and webmaster. Check out the  Terry Haggerty  web site.  There you'll find a little over two dozen MP3's to download and enjoy, including some with guest vocals.  Two songs feature Bill Champlin vocals.  There's also a biography, quotes from other musicians, photos, contact information, and listings for upcoming gigs. I wish I had the words to describe how incredible Terry's playing is.  You just have to hear it to understand.  He is revered by other guitarist for his innovative style, rock tones, and jazz harmonies.

Terry Haggerty - New Year's '98

Terry has had a CD available, but it's currently out of print. However, I did want to write a short review.  Terry's self-titled CD is all instrumental, featuring 8 fantastic jazz cuts written by Terry Haggerty, Tim Haggerty (his brother), and Andre Johnson.  Musicians include the very talented Sons of Champlin keyboardist - Geoff Palmer, Tower of Power drummer - Dave Garibaldi, Ernie Watts on sax, Dan Regan on trombone, percussion by Bill Summers & Carole Steele, bass by Terry & Tim Haggerty, additional keyboards by Terry & Tim Haggerty, and of course, guitars by Terry Haggerty.

The first cut, "Swing Jam", is amazingly infectious, with a funky groove that hangs on and sticks in your mind.  The rest of the album is just as good, running the emotional spectrum with solid production and great arrangements.

I do hope that this CD will be available again.  It is great!

Terry is also a great lyricist and songwriter.  Two of my favorite cuts on the great CD, "Sons Of Champlin Live", were written by Terry.  "Follow Your Heart" is a classic, spiritually uplifting, and definitely one of my favorite songs of all time. "No 'Mo" is also a great song that sticks in your mind long after you've heard it. That says a lot. :-)

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Chicago

Chicago is another legendary band, which just happens to have my favorite singer, songwriter, and musician, Bill Champlin, as one of it's members.  I always liked Chicago, but I actually rediscovered them and became a fan because of Bill.  They have some great music available.

Their newest CD is their first all new studio album in 15 years, titled "Chicago XXX". Many of their older albums have also been remastered and re-released, some including extra tracks.  Chicago's catalog was purchased by Rhino Records, which made all of this possible.

This is a great new album.  I'm sure that a big part of it is due to Bill's writing and vocals.

You can click on the CD on the left to go to Amazon.com's site for Chicago XXX. It's currently rated at 4 stars out of a possible 5.  There you will also find sound files for all 13 cuts, as well as customer reviews, comments, fan photos, & more.

 

Syd Baumel

I'm sure you're not familiar with his name, so I'll tell you a little bit about Syd.  Syd is an author, artist, composer, and musician.  We met online in the MIDI Composer's Workshop, a private forum on GEnie Online Services, in 1995.  I enjoyed his contributions to the MCW tapes, which were distributed to the members for critiquing and discussion.  I also liked his sense of humor and style.

I bought his first book, "Dealing With Depression Naturally", and was quite impressed with the content, his research skills, and the intelligent, warm, and conversational manner he utilized.

Please check out  Syd Baumel's Website.   There you'll see excerpts from Syd's books, including the two I haven't had a chance to read yet.  There are also music reviews and articles in addition to some of Syd's great art work, used as backgrounds.

Syd is also an Amazon associate and has links to his books, as well as the albums he's reviewed for the Winnipeg quarterly, The Aquarian, of which he is now the editor.  There is also an online edition of this journal, The Aquarian Online.

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