🎷 AotW: Jazz Chuck Mangione - LAND OF MAKE BELIEVE

Jazz releases not on the CTi or Horizon labels.

How Would You Rate This Album?


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Captain Bacardi

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Chuck Mangione
LAND OF MAKE BELIEVE
Mercury Records SRM-1-684
41E1W9WNHPL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Released 1973

Peaked at #7 on the Jazz Album chart (1974), #157 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart (1977)

Produced by Chuck Mangione

Songs:
1. Legend Of The One-Eyed Sailor - 7:20
2. Lullaby For Nancy Carol - 3:17
3. El Gato Triste - 7:04
4. The Gloria From The Mass Of St. Bernard - 3:53
5. As Long As We're Together - 3:32
6. Land Of Make Believe - 11:58
All selections composed by Chuck Mangione
Lyrics, Arrangements & Orchestrations: Chuck Mangione
Musicians:
Chuck Mangione - Flugelhorn
Gerry Niewood - Soprano Sax, Flute and Alto Flute
Al Johnson - Electric Bass
Joe LaBarbera - Drums
Esther Satterfield - Vocals (2, 5, 6)
Cathie Lehr - Cello (3)
Gap Mangione - Electric Piano & Toys
Don Potter - Acoustic Guitar
Gordy Johnson - Flute & Piccolo
Trumpets: Jon Faddis, Jeff Tkazyik
Trombones: Janice Robinson, Bill Reichenbach, Jr., Art Linsner III
Tenor Sax & Flutes: Ray Ricker, Joe Romano
Baritone Sax & Flutes: Ned Corman
Ron Davis - Congas, Bongos, Timbales & Percussion
John Beck - Timpani & Percussion
Dave Mancini - Percussion
Steve Gadd - Timpani

Horseheads Chamber Singers, Joseph C. Crupi, director
The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Chuck Mangione, Guest Conductor

Recorded in concert at Massey Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Recording Engineer: Phil Ramone
Associate Engineer: Dave Greene
Mixdown & Editing: Phil Ramone, Rich Blakin, Chuck Mangione (A&R Studios, NYC)
Mastering: Bob Ludwig (Sterling Sund, NYC)
Production Assistance: Robin McBride & Jack Kramer

Cover Concept, Design & Layout: Robert E. Smith
Photography: Lou Marinaccio



Capt. Bacardi
 
One of mangiones finest moments and just a short time later he would record chase the clouds away for a&m esther satterfields vocals on the title song and as long as were together areexcellent as is legend of the one eyed sailor el gato tristeand my personal favorite the ever spiritual gloria from the mass of s.t bernard all in all mangione fans and even casual listeners will find something enjoyable in this albun
 
Hey bbrmn - have you ever heard of punctuation? It sure would be a lot easier to read your posts if you threw in an appropriate comma or period here and there. Just sayin'...... :whistle:


Capt. Bacardi
 
Thanks. Captain . My apologies. Sometimes i type so fast i forget. Nevertheless thank you for the admonishment.
 
In early 1976 I did my first arrangement for our stage band in high school, doing "Legend Of The One-Eyed Sailor", but I did it with the Herb Alpert version in mind. By this time my band buddies and I had bought Mangione's first two A&M albums (Chase The Clouds Away and Bellavia) and really enjoyed his music. In June of that year we had a party at my house as part of my graduation and my going away to basic training (which was a week later) and I received this album as a gift. I was blown away by how Mangione's version of "Legend" was different from Alpert's, but in a good way. The opening drum part was pretty exciting, as was the end romp on the tune. (A few years later I did a different arrangement when I was at Ball State which was more true to Mangione's version, except I did it in F minor whereas Mangione's is in C minor.)

The real treat for me is "El Gato Triste". I just loved how the cello worked on this song. "As Long As We're Together" was a pretty nice pop vocal. The title track had its moments - nice solos - but it kind of ran too long. I much prefer the original version on The Chuck Mangione Quartet album from a couple of years earlier.

The sound on this album is pretty bad. It sounds as if it were recorded on a cheap tape recorder. This same problem plagues a couple of other Mercury albums that Mangione did with an orchestra. The performances are good, but it's hard to get past that sound.


Capt. Bacardi
 
Thank you. Captain for your recollections. I first heard mangione's version before i heard alpert's. But it was the land of make believe version featured on the two record set called " the best of chuck mangione" on mercury i heard the original finally in 1985 when i picked the album " alive" which also featured another favorite track 60 miles young. Mangione's mercury years were great performances. Even though i agree with you the sound could have been much better. Nevertheless, as a whole the mercury. A&M. And even his columbia albums are all worth checking out. So one can get a complete overview of chuck mangione and his wonderful music both his best & not. I do recall getting teased in school because i liked " feels so good" which was mt first mangione album and the first lp i ever owned. Those were the days.
 
I also loved the Alive! album, as well as the Chuck Mangione Quartet album (loved his take on Freddie Hubbard's "Sunflower"). However, those Columbia albums were a disaster IMO. One or two songs were okay, but overall those Columbia albums were a pop fiasco and quite forgettable. But I guess that's what happens when you hit on a pop formula and want to make some bread. Not very creative period, though.



Capt. Bacardi
 
A good & serious straight ahead jazz vein, but not one that, on those grounds can be as uplifting to listen to, as it does not translate well to this live setting, as intimate as it tries to be, and in turn, can not translate into more then an overly, curiously capricious range into your listening room...

The music tends to meander, and the only thing to really break the ice in the cold, calculated arrangements is at least Esther Satterfield's vocal, giving this performance some warmth and spark, but over-all the one thing, that this being funneled into to be put on an on stage venture like this, is merely just patience...

This record was a just a bit of a snooze (and hopefully the audience in attendance were captivated, if not at least true fans) and more of a money-maker, capitalizing on a quickie live opportunity than anything displaying truer artistry, beyond a banal, dismally formulated format...


-- Dave
 
This record was a just a bit of a snooze (and hopefully the audience in attendance were captivated, if not at least true fans) and more of a money-maker, capitalizing on a quickie live opportunity than anything displaying truer artistry, beyond a banal, dismally formulated format...


-- Dave

I wouldn't call it a "quickie live opportunity". I'm listening to it now and there's a whole philharmonic orchestra they had to haul from Hamilton (which is at least 30 miles away), make arrangements for, etc. The horn playing is beautiful, and it seems to be overall more dynamic than what I've heard of Mangione so far. The credits don't include the trumpeters from the orchestra - sounds like an army of trumpets at some places. I actually think I prefer Herb's version of the One-Eyed Sailor though. It seems to bring out the melody more. And I could do without the church music.
 
OK, poor choice of words... I merely went by this being one disc, as opposed to the 2 discs other Mangione live efforts were...

Friends & Love, which also being draggy at times, offers a little more inspiration and variety in its movements, and although interchangeable, the later stuff like Tarantella, Children Of Sanchez and Live At The Hollywood Bowl have some good moments... Somehow he did less with more, in that more slabs of vinyl lent more stretching out, although what I prefer overall song selection wise, I wish he could have made do w/ one, per set!

This one just seemed to be a rather uncomfortable affair, although you have to credit the orchestra, which well-seasoned as they are, the album might as well had been just that...

A still brave outing if Esther Satterfield seems to be in fine form and even Chuck's playing at times collaborates well...

But the choral of singers is what detracts from the musicianship, as does the trumpets in the orchestra, being too augmented, in that to me, this album just looses focus...

I just prefer the 'Legend Of The One Eyed Sailor' from the Alive album Chuck did in a quartet setting w/ Gerry Niewood, accompanied by only bass & drums, so it's that Live setting that I prefer overall...


-- Dave
 
Listening to it yesterday I noticed he seemed to only take a couple of solos through the whole thing (though I thought they were fabulous). That high trumpet squeal at the end of "One-Eyed Sailor is unbelievable. I thought only Maynard could do that. I also agree that the choir seems out of place.
 
That high trumpet is Jon Faddis, who was a beast back then - and still is. He was in a few big bands in the 70's just for his stratospheric work. He can also play some mean bebop. He was lauded as the next Dizzy Gillespie. His debut album Youngblood on Pablo Records is worth getting.


Capt. Bacardi
 
I just prefer the 'Legend Of The One Eyed Sailor' from the Alive album Chuck did in a quartet setting w/ Gerry Niewood, accompanied by only bass & drums, so it's that Live setting that I prefer overall...

That version of "Legend" is the performance that Herb Alpert cites as an inspiration to get back to recording in '74.
 
However, those Columbia albums were a disaster IMO. One or two songs were okay, but overall those Columbia albums were a pop fiasco and quite forgettable. But I guess that's what happens when you hit on a pop formula and want to make some bread.

I'd thought Mangione had disappeared, then I saw the video for "Diana D" and cringed. Wasn't that the album where he had his face all painted up?

I did catch a small part of his live set in recent years--had to be 2003 or so. He sounded in good form.
 
Hey folks....I remember very well when Chuck Mangione gave his now legendary performances with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hamilton Orchestra, being a native of Rochester NY and seeing his early 70s Eastman Theater/RPO concerts as a child. Some food for thought....

His first official live concert with the Rochester Philharmonic, "Friends & Love", was recorded onto four-track tape by WXXI-TV, the public television station in Rochester. It was originally intended for post-production purposes but when Chuck heard the tape, he was inpressed with the fact that the station was able to record the orchestra with the techonology, given that most folks were using eight-to-sixteen track in 1970. The same with his 1971 album, "Together" (a/k/a the Freddie's Walking Concert). The stereo master for "Friends & Love" was originally done by Gap Mangione's label, GRC Records - which released the album first before Mercury picked it up nationally. Therefore, Chuck did the best he could given the parameters.

As for his Columbia work, Chuck was aiming for the contemporary pop/jazz market and his 1984 release of "Diana D" was more than likely the label's attempt for him to create a Herbie Hancock-"Rockit"-type tune. Seeing him perform it in Rochester, Ithaca and Syracuse, I can say that his hometown was receptive (of course!), the audience at my alma mater (Ithaca College) seemed okay with it but the crowd in Syracuse gasped in horror and he ended it after three minutes!

Chuck did a live gig at the Eastman Theater in 1984 to celebrate Rochester's 150th anniversary, where he was reunited with Don Potter and brother Gap along with the Philharmonic. While the telecast was preserved onto videotape (thank you, WXXI!), the concert remains unreleased as far as records, CD's and mp3's are concerned. It was a three-hour show with one intermission.
 
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