Chuck Mangione and the album ‘The Feeling’s Back’

Originally released April 27th, 1999, it’s been 25-years since the Chuck Mangione album The Feeling’s Back was shared with the world. The album features Mangione’s signature easy listening, crossover jazz, instrumental pop, jazz-pop sound aided by the support of musicians Annette Sanders on vocals, Clifford Korman on keyboards and piano, David Finck on acoustic and electric bass, Gerry Niewood on flute and alto flute, Jackie Presti on vocals, Jay Azzolina on guitar, Kid Reid on electric bass, Maúcha Adnet on vocals, Paulinho Braga on drums and Sarah Carter on cello.

(Shown here is the cover art for the 1999 Chuck Mangione album The Feeling’s Back).

Mountain Flight opens The Feeling’s Back album with Mangione on flugelhorn, front and center. The composition for the piece is upbeat with bass and drum elements in accompaniment. The result is easy on the ears while warming the spirit; the song is nicely performed and enchanting.

Consuelo’s Love Theme is a track originally part of the 1978 album Children of Sanchez. The song boasts a beautiful composition and production value with delicately delivered instrumental accompaniment that lends credit to the instrumental style. The subtle intermingling of vocals adds to the quality of the experience.

Leonardo’s Lady follows the love theme with a further invocation of love originally from the 1984 album Disguise. Showing that the composition comes first, I love how Chuck Mangione on the flugelhorn first appears about 15% of the way into the song. The song complements the larger Mangione catalog well.

The second brand new song of The Feeling’s Back album, Fotografia renders to notion of photographs to ask us to picture a joyful noise of good feeling. The upfront accompaniment from vocalists is distinguished and distinctive among the other songs in the album’s songs thus far.

(Chuck Mangione as seen in the year 1999, the same year as the album The Feeling’s Back was released).

Quase speeds up the tempo for the third new song for this 1999 Chuck Mangione album. Deliberately upbeat, the invitation to dance is not one to miss or disregard. The playfulness of instruments seemingly responding to one another adds a layer to the overall album experience that I cannot help but commend.

Aldovio returns to a flugelhorn initiated opening with drums following soon thereafter. The intermingling of cello into this performance has really beautiful results that draw me to repeated listens of this song.

Once Upon a Love Time delivers a mellow, easier sound. As a composition, the song delivers sweet affirmation suitable to speaking of romantic love.

Manhã de Carnaval, or Carnival Morning, opens sedately, almost meditatively. Unlike the song Manhã de Carnaval by Luiz Bonfá, a Latin rhythm in the Mangione song until more than six-minutes in. The path of this composition interests and intrigues me; the performance is top notch as well.

Maracangalha opens with a 15-second drum solo that is then joined by flugelhorn. The adding of vocals roughly a minute later enhances a dance number that feels like a laid back interpretation of the song Maracangalha by Dorival Caymmi.

La Vie en Rose, or life in pink, superficially reminds me of the trumpet infused, lyrics included Louis Armstrong song of the same title, namely La Vie en Rose. The songs themselves are strikingly different, with both incorporating a strong piano accompaniment. The Mangione song focuses on what feels like love, which is an emphasis of the Armstrong song as well. I find that I sincerely love the strong flugelhorn closing of the The Feeling’s Back album through this song.

Matt – Saturday, April 27, 2024

Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass and the album ‘Christmas Album’

It was fifty-five years ago that a Tijuana, Mexico touch was presented to what is Christmas music in North America. Christmas Album by Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass was released in November 1968. What follows is a sampling of the music and my encouragement to purchase the album, especially if you agree with me that this is something worth being heard. The album stylings include easy listening, jazz, pop/rock, holiday, holidays, AM Pop, instrumental pop and jazz-pop.

(Cover art for Christmas Album by Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass).

Winter Wonderland is presented as the opening song with vocalizations to support the instrumentation, minus specific lyrics for the song. Two primary lyrical bents do exist for the song, which we’ll not address in detail here given the presentation of the song as an instrumental.

(The sheet music cover from 1934 for Winter Wonderland as written by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith).

Vocalization as an interlude to begin Jingle Bells. Presented as an instrumental like Winter Wonderland, the arrangement offers a strong influence for a Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass sound that characterizes the album.

(The title page of The One Horse Open Sleigh, the original title for Jingle Bells as written in 1850 by James Pierpont at Simpson Tavern in Medford, Massachusetts).

My Favorite Things continues the vocalization introduction of the preceding songs, taking the Rodgers and Hammerstein creation of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II in a direction that offers both upbeat and slow musicality. The full result provides an interesting take to an unexpected song for this collection.

The Christmas Song, sometimes referred to as Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire or simply Merry Christmas to You, was written by Robert Wells and Mel Tormé. With soft singing accompanying softly strummed stringed instruments through much of the song, horns roll in for a brief point about two-thirds of the way through the song.

Written by composer Alfonso Esparza Oteo, Las Mañanitas is a traditional Mexican birthday song. The inclusion on the Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass Christmas Album, beyond being culturally on-point, feels like it can be a reference to the birth of Jesus Christ.

(Herb Alpert in 1966).

Sleigh Ride was composed by Leroy Anderson for light orchestras. The tempo changes beginning a bit past the 90-second mark and continued through the song present an original and appreciated instrumental take on the song that I find highly appealing.

The Bell That Couldn’t Jingle is an original song written by Burt Bacharach and Larry Kusik. Begun with a chorus singing the song almost as a chant, the almost playful arrangement slightly more than 30-seconds into the song has charm. The singing for The Bell That Couldn’t Jingle returns to a convention present in The Christmas Song.

Written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne, Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow begins with soft horns from the start. A cautious amount of singing is presented in a lovely song that needed the vocals not at all. Stated another way, the instrumentation carries this song of its own accord.

Jingle Bell Rock was first released by Bobby Helms with writing credits resting with Joe Beal and Jim Boothe. The Christmas Album version by Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass takes an instrumental approach that inspires clear excitement among the performing musicians; the occasional vocalization that trickles in gives the recording character.

(The cover art for Jingle Bell Rock, which was first released by Bobby Helms in 1957).

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring as composed by Johann Sebastian Bach brings a beautiful rendition to a beautiful song to close the album. The harmonizing vocals accompanying the performance brings a choir feel present with many songs for the album. The horns offer the best part of the song for me.

Contributing artists to this album include Herb Alpert on trumpet, Nick Ceroli on drums and percussion, Bob Edmondson on trombone, Tonni Kalash on trumpet, Lou Pagani on keyboards, John Pisano on guitars and mandolin, Pat Senatore on bass and Julius Wechter on marimba and percussion. Neither adding nor removing my appreciation for the music, Herb Alpert is Jewish rather than Christian.

Matt – Saturday, November 25, 2023

Chuck Mangione Quartet and the album ‘Alive!’

A four-song performance as part of a four member band including Chuck Mangione on flugelhorn, trumpet and background piano, Gerry Niewood on tenor, soprano and flute, Tony Levin on electric bass and Steve Gadd on drums, the album Alive! by Chuck Mangione Quartet was first released in August 1972. Landing in the jazz, easy listening genres, the album additionally lands in the contemporary jazz, instrumental pop, jazz-pop and crossover jazz sub-genres.

(Album cover for the August 1972 release Alive! by Chuck Mangione Quartet).

High Heel Sneakers was written by Tommy Tucker, along with being first released by Tucker in 1964. The upbeat presentation nearly extends to eleven (11) minutes of joyous energy. The multiple movements of this presentation offers range among the performers, featuring an extemporaneously jazz flavor.

(Musician Gerry Niewood).

Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor was recorded live for this album, as were the other songs presented here. The sentiment here is more subdued than High Heel Sneakers, though the energy remains strong. The August 1972 recording of this song, coming in at slightly more than eleven (11) minutes, occurred at the Nazareth College in Rochester, New York.

(Musician Tony Levin).

St. Thomas offers more than more than six-and-a-half (6.5) minutes of saxophone led tribute. The song was first recorded as Get Happy by The Randy Weston Trio in August 1955.

(Musician Steve Gadd).

Sixty-Miles-Young offers the clearest example of the style easy listening on the full album. Playing for more than twelve (12) minutes, the song stands in as much contrast to the other songs of this album as the album does in contrast to Mangione‘s better known albums. That the performance of this is rare is no understatement; that rarity perhaps makes this song my favorite on the album.

Matt – Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Trans-Siberian Orchestra and the album ‘Christmas Eve and Other Stories’

As the All Music website helps clarify here, “Trans-Siberian Orchestra is…not a permanent musical organization. Rather, it is the trade name for the session orchestras assembled for a number of symphonic rock cross-over albums produced by Paul O’Neill.” O’Neill was from Queens, New York City, New York, offering a series of rock cross-over albums that we begin looking at today. The Christmas Eve and Other Stories album was released on October 15, 1996.

(Presented is the album cover for Christmas Eve and Other Stories. This Trans-Siberian Orchestra album was released on October 15, 1996).

An Angel Came Down opens with a distinct piano open accompanied at times by thundering guitars and drums that offer alternating movements within the composition later interwoven with bells hinting at the song Silent Night as composed by Franz Xaver Gruber of Hochberg, Austria with lyrics by Joseph Mohr of Salzburg, Austria.

O Come All Ye Faithful/O Holy Night follows the album opener with a more pronounced piano with guitar introduction to two songs eventually fused with drums into a clear harder hitting rock sound than typically heard from either song. This song is presented in strictly instrumental form.

(Adolphe Adam of Paris, France set O Holy Night to music with the song’s original composition in 1847).

A Star to Follow begins with pronounced adult male singing and supporting instrumentation at first to God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman. The presented composition moves into pre-teen children singing to the expected joy of the Christmas celebration. A third movement returns a chorus of the men singing the words Merry Christmas with the kids singing harmony. An appealing effect follows with an adult choir adding lyrics for the Ukranian folk chant Carol of the Bells. The song ends with the children singing their willingness to follow into the magical joy the holiday promises.

An acoustic guitar introduces First Snow for a few seconds before giving way to a clear electric guitar melody with accompanying drums. Following A Star to Follow, I felt the evocation of satisfied revelry for adults and children. Hinting at a notion of Christmas with snow does not hurt, either. The song plays as a full instrumental without lyrics.

The Silent Nutcracker plays to a more fully throated acoustical instrumental performance. Hints of Silent Night are again made in strictly instrumental form for a more extended playing in what proves to be another song presented without lyrics.

A Mad Russian’s Christmas opens with piano playing in solitude an authoritative electric guitar riffs accompanying. A series of explicit rock melodies follow in instrumental succession, invoking classic orchestral rises and falls of mood to tunes sure to be recognized by most. Of all the songs on Christmas Even and Other Songs, A Mad Russian’s Christmas perhaps best exemplifies why the word orchestra belongs in the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

With The Prince of Peace, the reintroduction of singing proves welcome and as emotionally uplifting as the reason for the season sung about. An adult female sings of Jesus Christ‘s birth, explicitly invoking Hark! The Herald Angels Sing just beyond minute and a half into the presentation.

(Hark! The Herald Angels Sing first appeared in the 1739 book Hymns and Sacred Poems).

Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 begins with a few seconds worth of traditional instrumentation introducing God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman. A fully instrumental presentation continues from here with a different rocking sound, evoking anticipation, discovery and magic coming with the next day. The birth of Jesus with the celebration indicated with A Star to Follow earlier in the album come to bear again. The band Savatage, who played a significant role in bringing this song to life, were formed in Tampa, Florida in 1983.

(Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 was released as a single by Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Trans-Siberian Orchestra a side project of several members of Savatage).

Good King Joy raises the octave level on every song that preceded it on Christmas Eve and Other Stories by announcing the birth of Jesus with a bright introductory verse of Joy to the World. Heavy piano and guitar follow in furtherance of the Jesus‘ birth. Switching to a rhythm and blues theme three minutes into a song that plays more than six minutes with lyrics invoking the nativity story with the Magi in Bethlehem works magic.

(First published in 1719, English minister and hymnist Isaac Watts of Southampton, Hampshire wrote Joy to the World based on a Christian interpretation of Psalm 98 of the Old Testament of the Bible).

Ornament brings us back to a raspy blues singer view of a young lady separated from her family leading up to Christmas. We find that the viewpoint is that of a father desperate to have his daughter call a truce to whatever ails the relationship. A specific ornament between the two stands in as the token of hope, memory and joy to bring the two together again on this pending Christmas day.

The First Noel is presented in an acoustic and quick interlude of instrumentation. The song itself reminds of the birth of Jesus and the first nativity in less than a minute of song.

(Of Cornish origin, the song The First Nowell was published in its present form as early as 1833 in the book Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern by William Sandys, though the song seems to have been around longer).

A sympathetic and acoustic, storytelling vibe brings the song Old City Bar. The bluesy father from Ornament continues the story of the disconnected daughter who couldn’t get home on Christmas Eve. The song is a sad tale that turns unexpectedly happy with cab fare to JFK Airport in New York City to get home to her father.

Promises to Keep opens with distinct piano playing that quickly opens to the singing of children in chorus taking upon themselves the seeking and the keeping of the promises of love represented by Christmas. The wishing upon stars give way to keeping the spirit and goodness through the season, the years, the lifetimes. The sweetness is meaning like a music box invoked through the song.

This Christmas Day brings the optimism and feeling of Christmas in stringing together Ornament, Old City Bar and this song with bright strings of lights, ribbons, and the returning home of the daughter to her home, accompanied by the joy of her father. With the promise of desperation giving way to promises delivered now and forever, the feeling resonates through repetitions of the lyrics of “Merry Christmas, merry merry Christmas!”

An Angel Returned frames the album with the opening song of Christmas Eve and Other Stories, An Angel Came Down. In referencing Kyrie (Lord) and at least partially calling upon the “Kyrie, eleison,” or “Lord, have mercy” prayer, this song with new lyrics (An Angel Returned) set to essentially the same music (An Angel Came Down), the Christmas spirit as embodied by faithfulness expressed in song has transformed people through the joy felt in the hope of the savior’s birth on the night of Christmas Eve as told through the songs of this album.

(Pictured here is Paul O’Neill, the founder of Trans-Siberian Orchestra).

O Holy Night was presented as a bonus song beyond the original album, with an instrumental version of the song that varies from the second half of O Come All Ye Faithful/O Holy Night earlier in the album. This presentation feels like it was played on guitar, though a dobro might have been the primary instrument.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen adds an additional bonus of 75-seconds of an exclusively acoustical presentation of the song.

Matt – Saturday, December 24, 2022

David Foster and the album ‘The Christmas Album’

A pair of radio stations where I live have been playing Christmas music through the month of December. The station that tends to play more contemporary music has included music from The Christmas Album (1993) by David Foster among its more commonly featured songs. As it is the season for such songs, let us look more closely into the dozen songs that comprise this album.

(The Christmas Album by David Foster with friends was released in 1993).

Carol of the Bells opens the 12-songs of The Christmas Album with an uplifting and melodious rendition of this traditional song. Mixing horns, piano and an orchestral mix meaningful to many, the joy that comes in less than three-minutes of playing time is beloved by many. This song, incidentally, receives the heaviest play of any song from this album with my local station.

(The Christmas Album featuring David Foster and friends was released in 1993).

Blue Christmas features Wynonna Judd singing to the instrumentation offered by David Foster. A rendition of this song also accompanied David Foster’s Christmas Album television special, which accounts for the following image. The rendition of the song selected here comes from the album rather than the television special.

(Wynonna Judd accompanies David Foster by singing Blue Christmas from David Foster’s Christmas Album television special).

Bebe Winans and Cece Winans are featured accompanying David Foster with The First Noel. The contemporary sound with support from a chorus and a broad accompaniment of other musicians offer a warm, welcoming and full sound commensurate with the underlying lyrics and music offered. The song offered is from the album, whereas the image is from the television special.

(From left, David Foster, Bebe Winans and Cece Winans performing The First Noel).

Johnny Mathis joins David Foster in performing It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. The enthusiastic time offers an uplifting spirit to a traditional composition known to many through more commonly played alternative renditions of this song.

(Johnny Mathis accompanies David Foster by singing The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. This image is from David Foster’s Christmas Album television special while the rendition linked above is from The Christmas Album).

Natalie Cole joins David Foster in offering Grown-Up Christmas List. Compositional credit for the song belongs with David Foster and Linda Thompson-Jenner. The fresh perspective in offering a new sentiment for the holidays with quality musicianship is heartwarming with a sense of calm.

(Natalie Cole accompanies David Foster by singing Grown-Up Christmas List from The Christmas Album. This image is from David Foster’s Christmas Album television special).

O Holy Night features Michael Crawford singing alongside David Foster‘s piano and other accompanying instrumentation. Crawford is “[m]ost popular to theater audiences from his title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s version of The Phantom of the Opera,” as mentioned by All Music, the American online music database).

(Vanessa Williams accompanies David Foster by singing Go Tell It on the Mountain / Mary Had a Baby. The version linked below is taken from an album published by Williams).

Vanessa Williams sings a powerful medley of Go Tell It on the Mountain / Mary Had a Baby with a choir and David Foster, as featured on The Christmas Album, in David Foster’s Christmas Album television special, and in albums published separately by Williams. In staking out something truly their own in a musical arrangement offering many things, call me intrigued and moved.

(From left, Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack performing I’ll Be Home for Christmas. The image shown is from David Foster’s Christmas Album television special).

I’ll Be Home for Christmas features Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack with musical assistance from David Foster. The mellow feeling of the presentation, taken from The Christmas Album as linked above, offers compositional direction changes at various points in the presentation that offer interesting and warm feelings to my hearing.

(Tom Jones performing Mary’s Boy Child from David Foster’s Christmas Album television special).

Tom Jones sang to Mary’s Boy Child. The linked soundtrack to a ballad with choir harmonies bordering on the up-tempo style of many of the standards of Tom Jones, with a distinct timing difference to the song that comes next on The Christmas Album.

(From left, Céline Dion and David Foster perform The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)).

Céline Dion sings The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) to David Foster‘s piano, set in a distinctly higher key to much of the catalogue offered by The Christmas Album before this song. The juxtaposition of the Peebo Bryson and Roberta Flack duet followed in sequence by Tom Jones and Céline Dion also feels wisely selected to me.

Tammy Wynette sings and speaks Away in a Manger. The orchestration and production value of the song strikes me as more endearing.

The song White Christmas as captured on the album is credited in performance to David Foster, Natalie Cole, Michael Crawford, Wynonna Judd, Johnny Mathis, Bebe Wians and Cece Wians. I distinctly heard Vanessa Williams, Peebo Bryson, Roberta Flack, Tom Jones, Céline Dion and David Foster singing as well.

Matt – Wednesday, December 14, 2021

Chuck Mangione and the album ‘Feels So Good’

One of the better albums of 1977 never showed up in ‘a best albums of a given year’ listing by Rolling Stone magazine. That’s a loss for the magazine and the readers of the time for missing out as an album by guitarist Grant Geissman, saxophonist Chris Vadala, bassist Charles Meeks, James Bradley, Jr., and namesake Chuck Mangione with the December 1977 album Feels So Good.

(The album cover for Feels So Good by Chuck Mangione shows Mangione hugging a flugelhorn).

Listen to the song Feels So Good from the album of the same name. Feels So Good opened the album while giving the musician perhaps the best success Mangione had as a musician. The distinctive flugelhorn and guitar opening for this instrumental are completely delightful.

(This recording of the song Feels So Good by Chuck Mangione became the featured song and namesake for the album Feels So Good. The single itself was released in February 1978).

Maui-Waui opens with a double drum tap to start a second instrumental in an album full of them. The second longest song on the album at more than 10-minutes in length, Maui-Waui helps continue the easy listening, smooth jazz sound that epitomizes the album Feels So Good.

(This recording of the song Maui-Waui by Chuck Mangione also received a release in support of the album Feels So Good).

Theme from Side Street at slightly more than two minutes is the shortest composition on the Feels So Good album. The television series Sidestreet (1975-1978) was broadcast in Canada and featured this song.

Hide & Seek (Ready or Not Here I Come) reflects perhaps the most playful instrumental song on the album. The song orchestrates the album quintet exceptionally well with solid instrumentation, a meandering course, and the epitome of well executed jazz.

Last Dance for all practical purposes is the somber ending to the joy that is Feels So Good, despite not truly ending the album. The song is distinctly mellow, which starkly contrasts with the uplifting playfulness of the preceding song. I’m completely content listening in solitude with nothing but this song as company for the almost 11-minutes this song grants me.

The XIth Commandment closes out Feels So Good where the album began, with the flugelhorn starting a better than 6.5-minute instrumental. The XIth Commandment brings together the journey of the album almost as a refresher of where we just journeyed with one additional, fresh look.

Feels So Good feels exactly that for me. Share the joy with a listening of your own.

Matt – Wednesday, June 17, 2020