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CHICK COREA AND HERBIE HANCOCK
Los Angeles 1978 [Mike Millard Master Tapes via JEMS, 2CD]
The Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone Tapes Volume 73. Live at the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA; July 9, 1978. Very good audience recording.
Thanks to Mike Millard; Rob, Jim R; Barry G; JEMS; BK; and mjk5510 for sharing the show at The Traders’ Den.
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Welcome to JEMS’ Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone series presenting recordings made by legendary taper Mike Millard, AKA Mike the MICrophone, best known for his masters of Led Zeppelin done in and around Los Angeles circa 1975-77.
Until 2020, the Lost and Found series presented fresh transfers of previously unavailable first-generation copies made by Mike himself for friends like Stan Gutoski of JEMS, Jim R, Bill C. and Barry G. These sources were upgrades to circulating copies and in most instances marked the only time verified first generation Millard sources had been directly digitized in the torrent era.
That all changed with the discovery of many of Mike Millard’s original master tapes.
Yes, you read that correctly, Mike Millard’s master cassettes, long rumored to be destroyed or lost, have been found. Not all of them but many, and with them a much more complete picture has emerged of what Millard recorded between his first show in late 1973 and his last in early 1992.
The reason the rediscovery of his master tapes is such a revelation is that we’ve been told for decades they were gone. Internet myths suggest Millard destroyed his master tapes before taking his own life, an imprudent detail likely concocted based on the assumption that because his master tapes never surfaced and Mike’s mental state was troubled he would do something rash WITH HIS LIFE’S WORK. There’s also a version of the story where Mike’s family dumps the tapes after he dies. Why would they do that?
The truth is Mike’s masters remained in his bedroom for many years after his death in 1994. We know at least a few of Millard’s friends and acquaintances contacted his mother Lia inquiring about the tapes at the time to no avail. But in the early 2000s, longtime Millard friend Rob S was the one she knew and trusted enough to preserve Mike’s work.
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Chick Corea & Herbie Hancock - Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA; July 9, 1978
We were saddened to hear of the passing of jazz great Chick Corea [February 9, 2021], so this week we dip into the Millard archive to pay tribute to him with this truly outstanding recording from the Greek Theatre in 1978.
As Jim R notes below, he and Mike were Corea fans, recording him on multiple occasions along with other artists along the jazz-fusion spectrum. On this night, Corea is joined by Herbie Hancock, and the pair open the show with a piano duet of “Someday My Prince Will Come” followed by Hancock’s “Homecoming.”
From there, the stage is reset to augment the band and Corea leads them through a set of exceptional performances, including long forays into “Mad Hatter Rhapsody” and “Spanish Fantasy.” Corea’s wife Gayle Moran also takes the spotlight leading and singing “I Loved You Then, I Love You Now.”
While we routinely wax on about the quality of Millard’s audience recordings, this one is truly extraordinary, approaching official release standards, no doubt aided by exceptional sound at the outdoor venue, an ideal taping location and Mike’s skills and rig. The respectful crowd helps; can you imagine a modern audience being this quiet when an artist introduces a song?
If you’re a Corea or Hancock fan, you’re in for a treat. If you are merely a Millard devotee, you’l want to hear this one for pure audio excellence alone. Juicy Sonic Magic indeed.
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Here’s what Jim R recalled about seeing Corea at the Greek 1978:
Mike Millard and I attended the Chick Corea & Herbie Hancock concert at The Greek Theater on July 9, 1978. Being a laid back show, it was easy getting Mike’s equipment in.
We sat in row K which is 9-10 rows back. The Greek Theatre is open air with capacity around 5900, very similar to the Universal Amphitheater, which at the time was open air before they put a roof on it in 1982 through its eventual teardown in 2013. Both venues offered excellent acoustics. The sound quality for this show was excellent.
Just to give you a little background of the shows Mike and I attended featuring the Jazz/Jazz Fusion genre: We recorded Return To Forever in 1977 (Vol 41 in the Lost and Found series). We recorded Chick with Stanley Clarke in November 1978. And solo tours/shows featuring Al DiMeola, Stanley Clarke and even Lenny White all within a year or so.
The Corea show at the Greek was wonderful. There was some amazing jamming going on. I took the night off from taking pictures.
I hope you enjoy this one as much as Mike and I did.
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JEMS is proud to join with Rob, Jim R, Barry G, Ed F and others to release Millard’s historic recordings and to help set the record straight about the man himself.
We can’t thank Rob enough for reconnecting with Jim and putting his trust in our Millard reissue campaign. He kept Mike’s precious tapes under wraps for two decades, but once Rob learned of our methods and stewardship, he agreed to contribute the Millard DATs and cassettes to the program. Our releases would not be nearly as compelling without Jim’s memories, photos and other background contributions. As many of you have noted, the stories offer an entertaining complement to Mike’s incredible audio documents.
This week we again recognize the invaluable assistance of Professor Goody and mjk5510 in helping us ready this show for release. Thanks for being part of the JEMS team.
Finally, cheers to the late, great Mike the MICrophone. His work never ceases to impress. May he rest in peace.
BK for JEMS
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Lineage:
AKG 451E Microphones (CK-1 cardioid capsules) > Nakamichi 550 Cassette Recorder
JEMS 2021 Transfer: Mike Millard Master Cassettes > Nakamichi Cassette Deck 1 azimuth-adjusted playback > Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 > Sound Forge Audio Studio 13.0 capture > Adobe Audition > iZotope RX8 > iZotope Ozone 8 > Audacity > TLH > FLAC
Click on the highlighted tracks to download the MP3s (320 kbps). As far as we can ascertain, these tracks have never been officially released on CD.
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Disc 1
Track 101. Intro 1:49
Track 102. Someday My Prince Will Come 12:00
Track 103. Homecoming 13:37
Track 104. Band Changeover 2:17
Track 105. Night Sprite 6:50
Track 106. Band Intros 3:16
Track 107. Day Danse 7:09
47 mins
Disc 2
Track 201. Mad Hatter Rhapsody including Falling Alice 26:54
Track 202. Crystal Silence 13:34
Track 203. I Loved You Then, I Love You Now 8:08
Track 204. Spanish Fantasy 13:06
62 mins
Click here to order Chick Corea releases.
Click here to order Herbie Hancock releases.