For many, the name Chuck Mangione instantly calls to mind the warm, soaring flugelhorn lines of “Feels So Good.” Released in 1977, the tune became a crossover hit, blurring the lines between jazz, pop, and easy listening. It’s one of the most recognizable instrumentals ever. Mangione’s career, spanning over 30 albums, is attributed to helping make jazz accessible to a wider audience. Whether writing for the Rochester Philharmonic, leading his own jazz quartets, or performing on television, he introduced the flugelhorn’s lyrical voice to audiences who may have never stepped inside a jazz club.

Mangione first came to prominence in the 1960s as a member of the influential Art Blakey Band. His Grammy-winning song “Bellavia” became an anthem for the Blizzard of 1978, and he wrote “Give It All You Got” for the 1980 Olympic Winter Games. He also composed the theme for the 1981 comedy film “Cannonball Run”. He described his favorite sound as “a melody that hugs you,” reflecting his warm tone and kind demeanor.

With his signature wide-brimmed hat and ever-present grin, Mangione became an icon of 1970s jazz fusion and smooth jazz. He frequently played himself in the animated series King of the Hill. His infamous hat was a donation to the Smithsonian for 2009 Jazz Appreciation Month, along with albums, scores of his important music, and his flugelhorn. Reflecting on the donation, he said, “I tried to give items that represented significant times in my career.”

Joe Gransden

Carrying on that spirit of accessibility and craft is Joe Gransden, a trumpeter, vocalist, and bandleader with roots that run deep in American music. Gransden has performed worldwide and released 17 albums under his own name. Critics often note how his trumpet style channels the hard bop fire of his influences, while his singing voice recalls the smoothness of Chet Baker and the phrasing of Frank Sinatra. Music is in his blood: his father was a singer and pianist, his grandfather was a professional trumpeter in New York, and on his mother’s side was the piano virtuoso Carmen Cavallero.

Though born just north of Manhattan, Gransden has become a fixture of the Atlanta jazz scene, where his 16-piece big band lights up Café 290 twice a month. His career has taken him everywhere from the Blue Note in New York to Clint Eastwood’s Tehama Golf Club in California. He’s collaborated with names like Michael Feinstein and saxophone superstar Kenny G, who produced Gransden’s album Close to My Heart.

Joe brings his signature smoky jazz club style to Middle C Jazz frequently. With the intimate space, he scales the big band down, to present swinging tunes we can’t get enough of, from the American Songbook greats like Sinatra, Baker, and Bennett.

Enjoy his evening of Mangione magic, “The Land of Make Believe”, on September 10th.