Product description

CD

.com

Whether his trumpet is open or muted, Chris Botti is an artist of the subtlest detail, able to draw an emotion with the briefest phrase. Sometimes even a single note--a sudden high, a muffled half valve, or a burred aside in the lower register--can be telling. On Slowing Down the World, he's consciously invoking the quiet moments, creating limpid pools of melody and reflection. That attention to the nuance of mood is apparent in his solo on "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," when he begins with a welling, rising phrase that illuminates the mood created by vocalist Sting. Botti is supported throughout by top-rank musicians like bassist Tony Levin and drummer Peter Erskine, and the London Sessions Orchestra, arranged and conducted by Anna Dudley, creates a plush carpet of sound on four tracks. Bob James contributes his distinctive electric piano lines to "The Open Touch," and Botti sings on Randy Newman's "Same Girl," adding an intimate and plaintive tone that might suggest Chet Baker, who Botti pays homage to on Playing by Heart. --Adam Rains

Review

Trumpeter Chris Botti is unique among the musicians you'll hear on smooth-jazz radio. Although Slowing Down the World was liberally strewn with synth-pad undercoatings, the main thrust is real-time, acoustic instruments doing the atmospheric work on top. Botti tapped veterans from L.A.'s studio scene, such as Bob James, Jeff Lorber, and Peter Erskine, for the date, but what shines most of all is the gentle arc of his own horn's sound. It's easy to see why pop stars like Paul Simon and Sting have recruited Botti for their tours. And it's easy to hear that this young trumpeter has his own take on the pop-jazz blend.

--- JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc. -- From Jazziz