Chuck Mangione left behind not just a catalog of hits, but a generation of players who believed their instrument could mean something.

Chuck Mangione, the Grammy-winning jazz bandleader and musician who scored an unlikely top-five hit in 1978 with the jazz instrumental "Feels So Good," has died at age 84, according to a note on his official website.

"Feels So Good" is a staple on most smooth-jazz radio stations and has been called one of the most recognized melodies.