CHICK COREA, STANLEY CLARKE & TONY WILLIAMS / BRUSHED MIKE MILLARD TAPE SANTA MONICA 1978 (3CDR)

Chick Corea – piano, electric piano
Stanley Clarke – acoustic bass, piccolo bass
Tony Williams – drums
Al Jarreau – vocals *
Bunny Brunel – electric bass **

DISC 1
Early Show
1. CONFIRMATION
2. SUMMER NIGHTS
3. ON GREEN DOLPHIN STREET
4. STANLEY'S CREATION
5. ALL BLUES
6. Intro to Bunny Brunel
7. QUIET AFTERNOON *

DISC 2
1. Intro to Al Jarreau
2. SUMMERTIME **
3. WALTZ FOR DEBBY **
4. DOODLIN' **
5. SPAIN **
Late Show
6. Band Intro
7. CONFIRMATION
8. SUMMER NIGHTS
9. ON GREEN DOLPHIN STREET

DISC 3
1. Intro to Bunny Brunel
2. QUIET AFTERNOON *
3. Intro to Al Jarreau
4. SUMMERTIME **
5. WALTZ FOR DEBBY **
6. DOODLIN' **
7. SPAIN **

In recent years, there has been an ongoing effort to digitize the "Mike Millard tapes"—recordings captured by Mike Millard, a taper well-known among fans for his exceptional skill in audience recording. While this label has released several titles sourced from these newly digitized Millard tapes, you may have noticed that they are categorized into two types: "Brushed Mike Millard Tapes" and "Legendary Mike Millard Tapes." Not every Mike Millard recording boasts perfect sound quality; some require significant restoration or enhancement. The "Brushed" series consists of recordings that have undergone extensive processing and improvement. The "Legendary" series consists of recordings that were already near-perfect, leaving little room for sonic improvement; consequently, editing has been kept to a bare minimum—limited to minor adjustments such as smoothing out the transitions between tracks.
This latest release, from the "Brushed" series, features Chick Corea and his associates. While presented as being sourced from the original "Millard tapes," the sound quality is geared more toward dedicated enthusiasts rather than casual listeners or newcomers. The label has performed as much remastering as possible. The rhythm section includes Stanley Clarke—a long-time collaborator from the *Return to Forever* era—and the renowned drummer Tony Williams, a former member of Miles Davis’s band who later made a significant impact in the fusion scene (notably with *Lifetime*). The performances here lean more toward jazz than fusion. Chick Corea’s keyboard work is split roughly equally between acoustic piano and electric piano. The appearance of Al Jarreau as a guest, contributing his exotic vocal style, is an absolute highlight.