Chris Botti Biography
Christopher Botti, 12 October 1962, Portland, Oregon, USA. Botti began playing trumpet at the age of 10 and within a few years was working professionally, mostly in the current pop music scene. He attended Indiana University, studying on David Baker's jazz course and with bass player Dave Friesen, and thus moving towards jazz. After graduation, he moved to New York City where he found work with several noted leaders, including George Coleman and Woody Shaw, studying with the latter. Mostly, though, he was active as a session musician, playing on numerous rock and soul recordings with artists such as Aretha Franklin, Angela Bofill, Gladys Knight, and Bob Dylan. From 1990 until mid-decade, he was a valued member of the band accompanying Paul Simon on his Born At The Right Time tour, and was also a member of saxophonist Bill Evans' touring outfit, Push, appearing on the band's self-titled 1993 album.
On his own recording dates, Botti achieves a pleasing blend of jazzy pop that places him firmly in the smooth jazz category. His broad and pop-based appeal has resulted in extensive national tours, considerable airplay on smooth and contemporary jazz radio stations, television appearances and live concerts, usually leading his group, Chris Botti And Friends, sometimes with guests such as Shawn Colvin, Jason Rebello and Sting, having earlier gained considerable international prestige as featured soloist with the latter's Brand New Day band. Botti writes some of the music he performs and was also responsible for scoring the motion picture Caught (1996), and also appearing on the film soundtrack album. In a somewhat tougher mode, Botti also plays with B.L.U.E. (Bruford Levin Upper Extremities) whose co-leaders are drummer Bill Bruford and bass player Tony Levin. The subject of an intensive marketing campaign, the early years of the twenty-first century found Botti being likened to Chet Baker, for his trumpet playing, photogenic good looks, and occasional, slightly rusty, singing. Indeed, on John Barry's soundtrack, Playing By Heart, Botti played dubbed trumpet duets with Baker tapes.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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