A&M Gold Series

This import version of Chuck Mangione's A&M hits collection contains three more tracks than its domestic counterpart, as well as his volume in the Universal 20th Century Masters collection. The bottom line when it comes to Mangione's music: his biggest period was in the '70s for A&M, when he had his monster hit "Feels So Good." That one has to be here, but so are other noteworthy (and very successful) singles such as "Land of Make Believe," "Chase the Clouds Away," and the overture for "Children of Sanchez." That said, those who only know "Feels So Good" might be surprised at what else is contained on this disc: there's the strikingly beautiful melody of "Bellavia," the theme song to the Cannonball Run flick, the funky-butt "Give It All You Got," and the simply beautiful "Maui-Waui," that runs over ten minutes. If ever there were a template for solid smooth jazz, this tune is it, because it's both. Listeners can't go wrong with this best-of, but might also want to check out a second volume that appeared on Columbia from his '80s years with that label. If you dig the sound, the pair will drown you in a blissed-out mellow. ~ Thom Jurek|