TromboneChat

Not a trombonist, but he sure put the flugelhorn on the huge road to popularity. The trumpet teacher at my university, Bowling Green State University, in Bowling Green, OH, Edwin Betts, was his teacher while both Betts and Chuck were at Eastman. I can still remember Dr. Betts talking about him.

For all of you SW Ohio trombone players, I was listening to WHIO Radio on the way home this evening and one of the local radio hosts stated that Chuck's daughter was sent to the University of Dayton by some of the royalties which Chuck earned from his most famous hit, "Feel So Good." After graduation, Chuck's daughter stayed in the Dayton-area and taught in one of the local Catholic Parish Schools over around the UD Campus.

I believe he passed away on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.

I still remember -- when I was a graduate student at U of R -- hearing him play in a little lounge somewhere out on W. Henrietta Rd. in Rochester. It was great.

Mangione was a huge part of my childhood music influence. We wore out the Feels So Good vinyl, but also wore out tapes of his other stuff like Children of Sanchez. Children of Sanchez in particular was highly approximate in some of his playing (it was noticeably sloppy), but I guess that was part of the charm of what he was doing with the historic Mexican folk music.

Chuck was the big celebrity, but his big brother Gap remained a big part of the local Rochester music scene as pianist and band leader. I guess Gap is still alive, but I'm not sure if he plays much, as he's got to be in his late 80s now.

Chuck Mangione physically pushed me in anger over an interaction I was having with his girlfriend in the green room backstage at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts in L.A. I think he was actually mad at his girlfriend and took it out on me, because our interaction was very friendly.

Ah, good times...

Among the last from the age when it was possible for an "instrumental" to be a big culture-wide hit.

I presume Harold Faltermeyer still lives, however.

tbdana wrote: Fri Jul 25, 2025 10:13 am Chuck Mangione physically pushed me in anger over an interaction I was having with his girlfriend...

I'm sure that could have been a "Brush With Fame" tale on the old Letterman Show.

He played in my hometown once when I was in college - somewhere aroun 79 or 80. Chris Vadala was with him. It was a great show. I must have listened to the Live at the Hollywood Bowl album 100 times back then.

WaPo has two obits...

Chuck Mangione, dead at 84, was no hack with a horn

Jazz legend Chuck Mangione, known for 'Feels So Good,' dies at 84

and contemporary (1979) coverage...

Mangione, in Tune With All but the Critics

His stuff was on the radio a lot when I was a kid (stations my parents listened to). Probably one of my earliest trumpet/flugelhorn related memories.

A mention is made by Gary Merrill about hearing Chuck play at a small club in Rochester, NY. I'm certain that it was the famous "Pythodd" Club where other future greats like Ron Carter [bass] and even Larry Combs [future principal clarinetist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra] played sax. I saw Chuck around the halls of The Eastman School of Music as a very quiet fellow in a sports jacket and tie and never would have thought he'd become the icon that he has become. This was circa 1956 -60. Interesting times !

2bobone wrote: Thu Jul 31, 2025 8:52 pm A mention is made by Gary Merrill about hearing Chuck play at a small club in Rochester, NY. I'm certain that it was the famous "Pythodd" Club ...

Well, this brings back another dim memory from those years so long ago ...

But I didn't hear Mangione at the Pythodd -- it really was some small lounge out on W. Henrietta and not in the center of the city. However, late one night (some time in 1969-1970), Bill Harper (https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/portfolio-ite ... r-william/-- whom we often referred to as "Wild Bill" ) said "Hey, let's go get some shrimp at this little place I know and then go to the Pythodd." I don't remember who was playing there -- but my vague memory is that it was some R&B group. So thanks for triggering that ancient memory.