Children Of Sanchez (1978)

Album dat opgebouwd is rond het beroemde thema dat lang dienst deed als herkenningstune van NCRV Zaterdag Sport. In het openings- en slot-deel is haast een bigband te horen, daartussendoor meandert het dubbelalbum alle kanten op van naar Concerto de Aranguez neigende third stream jazz naar soul (een vocale versie van het thema) naar fusion en terug. "Thanks to the Latin-inflected title track, "Children Of Sanchez" became another huge hit for Chuck Mangione. The title song even earned him a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance, and serious jazz listeners will spot a problem with that award -- it was for pop, not jazz. That, of course, is an accurate assessment of Mangione's music, since there isn't much improvisation on the album at all. Instead, there's a selection of Spanish and Latin-flavored instrumentals, arranged as if to give the impression that the album is a song cycle. Nevertheless, there's enough pleasant music here to satisfy fans of his pop stylings." (Allmusic)