Chuck Mangione's new release on Chesky Records, "Everything For Love," is a low-key mix of 10 melodic popish tunes, nine written by the soft-toned fluegelhorn player. Mangione, who started out more as a bebop player, narrowed his sights and leaned towards more commercially acceptable lightweight fare, prompted by the success of his soundtrack on the film "Children Of Sanchez".
The first track on the new CD, "Peggy Hill," is a pleasing and lilting opener with Mangione taking the opening chorus, followed by a straight-ahead guitar solo by Grant Geissman, a mainstay on all 10 tracks. The album's total running time is a brief 35 minutes, with the second and longest track, "Slo Ro," running barely four minutes. The last cut is a spiritually tinged "Freddie's Walkin" with a vocal by bass player Charles Meeks and backup vocals by Cindy Mizell, Paulette McWilliams and Imodin Rivera. The CD may not be a Grammy nominee but there's just enough easy listening here. Chuck Mangione and company will perform in concert at the Reichold Center for the Arts on Oct. 7 on the University of the Virgin Islands campus.
