RICK BRAUN PLAYS CHUCK MANGIONE
Over three decades and 20+ #1 Billboard hits into a genre-defining career, Rick Braun pours his creative soul into his first-ever tribute album, Rick Braun Plays Chuck Mangione. Sparked by Mangione’s passing in July 2025, this project is deeply personal.
On Rick Braun Plays Chuck Mangione, Braun performs every track on the same Couesnon flugelhorn he played as a student at the Eastman School of Music and with the band Auracle—fitted with the cherished Giardinelli mouthpiece gifted to him by the legend himself during a meeting at the 2007 Long Beach Jazz Festival. The collection offers a fresh, joyous revisit of iconic melodies, featuring an extraordinary roster of collaborators including original Mangione guitarist Grant Geissman, saxophonists Richard Elliot and Tom Scott, keyboardist Philippe Saisse, and flutist Steve Kujala. From the soaring orchestration of "Land of Make Believe" to an amped-up "Feels So Good," Braun balances technical mastery with reverence. Lead single “Give It All You Got” was produced with Philippe Saisse. This "funky from the get-go" interpretation of Mangione’s second Billboard Hot 100 hit is highlighted by a powerhouse sax solo from the great Tom Scott. The track features a buoyant groove from the project’s core rhythm section, doubling Braun’s horn with Scott's over the jangling guitar of Tony Pulizzi to deliver immediate, infectious energy. Describing the album as a labor of love that truly "took him over," Braun captures the "overwhelming sense of happiness" that defined Mangione’s impact, marking an auspicious and emotional start to his fourth decade of recording.
For more information, visit rickbraun.com
LAND OF MAKE BELIEVE
• Rick Braun: Flugelhorn
• Philippe Saisse: Keys
• Tony Pulizzi: Guitar
• Darryl Williams: Bass
• Gorden Campbell: Drums
• Lenny Castro: Percussion
DOIN' EVERYTHING WITH YOU
• Rick Braun: Flugelhorn, Trombone, and Keys
• Grant Geissman: Guitar
• Tiffany Jones: French Horn
• Alex Bailey: Bass
• Gorden Campbell: Drums
• Lenny Castro: Percussion
FEELS SO GOOD
• Rick Braun: Flugelhorn, Trombone, and Keys
• Richard Elliot: Tenor Saxophone
• Tony Pulizzi: Guitar
• Alex Bailey: Bass
• Nate Phillips: Bass
• Carnell Harrell: Keys
• Lenny Castro: Percussion
• Ron Reinhardt: Intro Keys
GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT
• Rick Braun: Flugelhorn
• Tom Scott: Tenor Saxophone
• Tony Pulizzi: Guitar
• Philippe Saisse: Keys and Synth Bass
• Gorden Campbell: Drums
• Lenny Castro: Percussion
DO I DARE TO FALL IN LOVE
• Rick Braun: Flugelhorn
• Richard Elliot: Tenor Saxophone
• Tony Pulizzi: Guitar
• Carnell Harrell: Keys
• Nate Phillips: Bass
• Alex Bailey: Drums
• Lenny Castro: Percussion
BELLAVIA
• Rick Braun: Flugelhorn, Trombone, and Keys
• Steve Kujala: Flute
• Grant Geissman: Guitar
• Nate Phillips: Bass
• Tiffany Jones: French Horn, Bass Bone
• Nick Lane: Trombone
• Alex Bailey: Drums
• Bud Harner: Cymbal Rolls
• Lenny Castro: Percussion
• Horns Arranged by: Nick Lane