Come join us now, and enjoy playing your beloved music and browse through great scores of every level and styles!
Can’t find the songbook you’re looking for? Please, email us at: sheetmusiclibrarypdf@gmail.com We’d like to help you!
Celebrated flugelhorn and trumpet player released over 30 albums and sold millions of records throughout his career
Best Sheet Music download from our Library.
Chuck Mangione (1940-2025) was an American flugelhorn player, trumpeter, and composer who achieved significant fame in the 1970s, particularly known for his smooth jazz and jazz-pop fusion sound. Here’s a breakdown of his career and significance:
- Breakthrough Hit: He is best known for his 1977 instrumental single “Feels So Good”. This infectious, melodic tune became a massive crossover hit, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart – an extremely rare feat for a jazz instrumental. The album of the same name also went multi-platinum.
- Musical Style: Mangione’s music blended jazz improvisation with accessible pop melodies, R&B grooves, and sometimes orchestral arrangements. This “smooth jazz” or “jazz-pop” style made his music very popular with mainstream audiences.
- Signature Instrument: While he played trumpet, the flugelhorn became his signature instrument, known for its warmer, mellower tone compared to the brighter trumpet sound. His lyrical playing style on the flugelhorn was central to his popular appeal.
Please, subscribe to our Library.
If you are already a subscriber, please, check our NEW SCORES’ page every month for new sheet music. THANK YOU!
- Early Career & Roots: He began his career in the late 1950s and early 1960s, deeply rooted in bebop and hard bop. He played with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers alongside his brother Gap Mangione (a pianist) and was part of the vibrant jazz scene in his hometown of Rochester, New York.
- Grammy Award: He won a Grammy Award in 1977 for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for his composition “Bellavia.”
- Other Notable Works:
- “Land of Make Believe” (1973) – An ambitious, suite-like piece featuring vocals by Esther Satterfield.
- “Chase the Clouds Away” (1975) – Used prominently in the 1976 Montreal Olympics broadcasts.
- “Give It All You Got” (1980) – Another popular track, used as the theme for the 1980 Winter Olympics coverage.
- Live Performances: Mangione was known for his energetic and engaging live performances, often featuring his band and sometimes orchestral backing. A famous live recording is An Evening of Magic: Live at the Hollywood Bowl.
- Cultural Presence: At the height of his fame in the late 70s, Mangione was a recognizable figure with his trademark bandana, large glasses, and warm smile. His music permeated radio, TV (including Olympics themes), and film soundtracks.
- Later Career: While his peak mainstream popularity was in the 70s and early 80s, Mangione has continued to perform, record, and tour steadily for decades, maintaining a loyal fanbase and respected status within the jazz world, particularly the smooth jazz genre.
Browse in the Library:
Or browse in the categories menus & download the Library Catalog PDF:
Chuck Mangione was a flugelhorn virtuoso and composer who became a jazz-pop superstar in the 1970s thanks to his mega-hit “Feels So Good.” He blended jazz with pop accessibility, defined a smooth sound with his warm flugelhorn, and remains a recognizable figure in American music. He’s often been remembered as a quintessential “feel-good” icon of his era.
Chuck Mangione’s music spanned over six decades, with more than 30 albums recorded and numerous Grammy nominations (14 nominated, two won). His signature warmth and melodic style—best captured in Feels So Good—brought jazz into mainstream consciousness. His influence persisted through media like King of the Hill, where he voiced himself, and through his role as educator and mentor in his hometown community.
Passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 22, 2025, at age 84, of natural causes, at his home in Rochester, New York
