1972 was a year of many pleasant and rewarding experiences for me:
A studio recording is perfection, but emotion and passion come only when you turn on the machine and go for the groove. If you do that with no mistakes, it sounds beautiful.
As a matter of fact, Gerry and I grew up in the same neighbourhood; he was in school the same year with my sister.
As a young kid I used to wear a baseball cap, but in 1969, a hat like one I have now was given to me as a present from some good friends.
As for the symphonic activities... when I was a student at the Eastman School of Music, I became exposed to a lot more musical forms, elements, opportunities, and I fell in love with strings and their uses.
Because I don't believe music can be free unless it has something to be free from.
Brazilian music has many of the ingredients that I strive for in my own music: Strong melodies and a disciplined but intense rhythmic concept, and interesting harmonies.
Dizzy Gillespie was a great influence.
For me, anyhow, there's something kinda special about the Quartet; in one sense the music is very organised and yet in another sense it's very loose.
For me, lifting the people up, making them enjoy what we're doing is as important as it is for me to play the kind of music I want to play.
I am glad that I wrote something that brought joy to millions of people.
I can count on one hand the number of instrumental hits there have been over the last ten years.
I do not mind having written the song at all. I just wish that I had written it in a different key, as the high d is hard to play. I am glad that I wrote something that brought joy to millions of people.
I find it very difficult to compose when I'm not playing.
I have been recording for five decades now.
I have recorded in the 50's with my brother Gap in our group, The Jazz Brothers. I recorded in the 1960's with Art Blakey.
I made many studio albums and I think the danger of studio recording is that if you do not watch out, you come out with a perfectly sterile performance.
I remember, when I grew up, going to dances was just a lot of fun. But when people get together now, music is the first thing that happens.
I tend to not want to put labels or categories on the music, only because people come with preconceived ideas about what they're going to hear, or won't come for this reason.
I think people today are hearing music that I recorded thirty years ago and do not listen to it as if it is something old but just something good.
I was blessed to work with The Jazz Messengers when the two piano players were Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea.
I was born at the right time. I entered this world in 1940, which brought me into what I think is the best time for music.
I write music people enjoy playing and listening to, and I have a group that loves playing the music.
In 1994, I started touring again and I recorded two albums for Chesky Jazz.
Most recently we've been working in concert situations rather than clubs. because there aren't too many rooms there like Ronnie Scott's, that are pure music rooms, where people come specifically to listen to music.
Music and jazz musicians would develop into my repertoire. Jazz standards like these had great melodies written by great composers.
Music is meant to be a beautiful thing.
My brother had a big band in high school; after that we continued to play together, eventually forming a group called the Jazz Brothers, that recorded for Riverside Records.
My goal was never to sell many records.
My music has always been strong in melodic content.
Neither can I play at my best unless I'm writing, because I like to establish musical directions for us to play on.
Not compromising the music, but there is a way, by just showing the people that you're sincere and honest with what you're doing, and by talking to them.
Not with the Rochester Philharmonic, but I formed my own orchestra, made up of musicians from the Eastman School, where I'm on the faculty now, direct the Jazz Ensemble and teach improvisation classes.
The album sales jumped from 250,000 to the millions and the industry looks different at you when you become a superstar.
The hiatus you spoke about happened in 1998. I was somewhat numb from being out on the road every night. I had to stop because I was emotionally and physically drained.
Then I loved the fact that we were actually recording live.
There's not much in the way of written-down arrangements - just things that Gerry and I have worked out, from playing spontaneously together and hanging on to whatever seems to fall in right.
To do it always right, that is what music is to me.
To pay 60 musicians for rehearsal and performance is quite something, and I decided I wouldn't be able to handle that kind of situation financially again, unless somebody else was taking care of that end of it.
We may play in a contemporary rock vein, use standard bebop themes, and many other things besides.
What's happened - in our country, anyhow - is that the young people have shied away from the formality of the concert hall, that tie - and - tails philharmonic image.
Whether it's string writing or whatever, I try to write for what each instrumentalist can do best.
With four people you can create one very strong kind of energy, but if you can get 65 people working together, and swinging together, that's a whole other kind of energy.
Young people are more ready today than ever before to listen to and accept music.
Chuck's quartet got its start in 1969 by playing in a Rochester singles bar.
In 1968 Chuck returned to Rochester and, for a while, wrote for the Outsiders, a Cleveland-based Capitol Records rock group.
After being nurtured by many jazz greats, Chuck wanted to see if he could make it alone. And he did. Until the end of 1965, Chuck worked with the big-bands of Maynard Ferguson and Kai Winding.
After graduation, Chuck taught music for a year in Rochester.
In 1962, Chuck cut an album on his own, Recuerdo, for Jazzland Records.
Personnel originally included Sal Nistico and Roy McCurdy. Jimmy Garrison, Steve Davis, and Ron Carter also played with the Brothers.
He and pianist Gap formed a quintet known as the Jazz Brothers in 1958, Chuck's senior year in high school.
When Chuck was only 15 years old, Dizzy was so impressed with Chuck's playing that he gave him one of his upswept horns.
One of Chuck's favorite stories tells of a time when he telephoned home saying, "Mom, I'm bringing home 35 orchestra players for dinner in ten minutes." "Fine," she replied, and when they arrived dinner was ready!
Chuck's dad would take him to many concerts at local clubs.
During his early years, a major influence on his life and music was the love and warmth of his parents. They were totally committed to their children.
The first episode of King of the Hill featuring Chuck Mangione originally aired on Valentine's Day 1998. The episode featured an original score specifically recorded for the occasion.
He raised over $50,000 for St. John's Nursing Home at his 60th Birthday Bash Concert, held at Eastman Theater in Rochester, New York.
Feels So Good is the most recognized tune since "Michelle" by The Beatles.
Chuck's quartet with saxophonist Gerry Niewood was a popular concert and recording act during the early 1970s.
Chuck served as director of the Eastman jazz ensemble from 1968 until 1972.
Chuck attended the Eastman School of Music from 1958 to 1963.
Chuck Mangione was on the tv show "King of the Hill", episode Megalo Dale in 2003.
Chuck Mangione was on the tv show Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show, episode Three Bears 1988.
Chuck Mangione was born on November 29 1940.
The album THE EYES OF THE VEILED TEMPTRESS: came out in 1988.
The album THE BEST OF CHUCK MANGIONE: came out in 1987.
The album DISGUISE: came out in 1984.
The album 70 MILES YOUNG: came out in 1981.
The album LIVE AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL: came out in 1979.
The album BELLAVIA: came out in 1976.
The album THE BOYS FROM ROCHESTER: came out in 1989.
The album ENCORE: came out in 1975.
The album ALIVE came out in 1972.
The album TARANTELLA: came out in 1981.
The album CHASE THE CLOUDS AWAY: came out in 1975.
The album TOGETHER FOREVER came out in 1994
The album EVERYTHING FOR LOVE: came out in 2001.
The album RECUERDO came out in 1962.
The album HEY BABY came out in 1961.
The album Journey To A Rainbow came out in 1983.
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