Yet another installment of MVD's Jazz Legends series. Chuck Mangione became a household name in the 70's . This 1989 concert captures Mr Mangione leading a sextet of solid musicians through a series of latino-spiced jazz.
Percussions abound on this DVD, held together by the idiosyncratic fugelhorn stylings of Mr Mangione. Chuck pulls double duty here, as he also sits behind the electric piano throughout most of the tracks. Surrounded by a good ensemble, Mr Mangione transports the listener to balmier climates through his easily accessible and warm melodies. Unfortunately, interspersed among some solid instrumental numbers, are vocal tracks which slow things down considerably. The strongest moments of the DVD come courtesy of the 11:55 Hide & Seek , which features some funk n' fusion filled passages which allow the guitarist Mark Manetta, bassist Gordon Johnson, and keyboardist Rob Mathes to showcase their chops.Another notable track is Hot Consuela which allows percussionist Billy Martin to demonstrate his various percussive skills. Of course, which Chuck Mangione set would be complete without his signature piece Feel So Good . This number was ubiquitous on the radio in the 1970s and features one of the most memorable melodies of all time. The version presented here is the full 8:58 original version, including vocals. The DVD then closes with my personal favorite track in the entire set. Once Upon A Love Time is a darker, more brooding tune where Mr Mangione does his best Miles Davis impersonation. Keyboardist Rob Mathes also steps away from the keys to deliver a very tasteful guitar synth solo in the middle portion of the song.
I've been underwhelmed by the majority of these Jazz Legends releases but this one is a fairly good one. I don't see Mr Mangione converting anybody with this DVD but his fans from years gone by should pick this one up.
Track Listing
- Land Of Make Believe (9:40)
- Chase The Clouds Away (5:20)
- Hide & Seek (11:55)
- She's Gone (6:45)
- Hot Consuela (6:50)
- Feel So Good (8:58)
- Once Upon A Love Time (8:05)
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