He was a genuinely good person in an industry not always known for that. I had the good fortune to perform with him several times from 2004-2008, including his solo CD release concert (CD name Ear Candy) in 2005 where I worked with him & arranged most of the concert's horn parts, expanding them from 1-3 parts to anywhere from 5-18 horns (!).

Mic Gillette, founding member of Tower of Power, dies at 64 - SFGate

He performed equally well on trumpet & trombone. The trombone he played was his father's, Ray Gillette, who played with Tommy Dorsey, Stan Kenton, & Harry James, & many others. One of my favorite quotes of his would come after the inevitable compliments of his trombone playing. "It was my father's trombone. I'm just playing the notes he left in it."

He will most definitely be missed by the many musicians & students whose lives he touched, however briefly.

 

I remember him with TOP and his trumpet solos on songs like Squib Cakes, The Oakland Stroke, What is Hip, So Very Hard To Go, etc. One of my all time favorite horn bands. Saw them perform many times in the L.A. area 'back in the day'. R.I.P Mr. Gillette.

 

RIP Mr. Gillette , you will be missed!