I know most of us here are more blues oriented, but I had to pay tribute to Chuck Mangione who passed away this week at the age of 84. At least a couple of us have mentioned him when discussing music.

As a trumpet player when I was in school, Mangione’s breakout song/album Feels So Good was the foundational soundtrack of my youth and has influenced my musical tastes ever since. My first live concert was Chuck and his quintet, and I saw them 3 or 4 more times in the 1980s. Chuck was known not only for his composing and playing, but also as an educator. He would often put together bands or orchestras of high school kids in the cities where he toured, rehearse them for a day, and then play a concert with them backing up his own ensemble. His voice will be remembered, as will that of his longtime bandmate Chris Vadala (playing Soprano, Alto, and Tenor Sax, Flute, Piccolo, Clarinet… all excellent). Chris passed in 2019.