 By Amy Stickney Since early childhood Charles Mancuso has always been influenced by music. He spent his time listening to the popular music in his father's record collection; from there on in he was hooked.
As a young adult he attended Buffalo State College. It was here that he met his mentor, William H. Tallmadge. Tallmadge was what Mancuso is today: a great music visionary. At Buffalo State Charles Mancuso wrote for the Record in a weekly column "Chaz with Jazz," later renamed "Both Sides Now." In his column he wrote reviews of jazz and blues artists who had come to town. In 1991 he started a quest in writing a book. Though the writing process had its up and downs, the book was published in 1996. Popular Music and the Underground is now used in his classes.
 Sitting in one of Mancuso's classes is a phenomenon. I had never experienced anything like it in any of my other courses. There are three screens filled with pictures, movie clips, and quotations, and the air filled with music. Then of course there is the lecture. I never knew a person could be so knowledgeable about such a vast range of material in one subject. Mancuso is a music historian. You don't feel like you're sitting in a class - rather it's like a show You almost expect to see a curtain go up and a spotlight shine on Mancuso. |
