Chris Botti

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Botti’s extraordinary gifts, as musician with a unique voice and vision, have long been appreciated by his peers. Nine years ago, Paul Simon tapped Botti for his band on the Born at the Right Time tour. Last year, Natalie Merchant featured Botti on her record; Joni Mitchell recruited him to perform in her intimate band (with Larry Klein, Greg Leisz, and Brian Blade) on her limited fall concert tour; Botti toured as a member of the avant-rock Upper Extremities band with drummer Bill Bruford, Tony Levin, and guitarist David Torn; and composer John Barry made Botti the featured soloist in his score for the Sean Connery film, Playing By Heart. Recently, Barry invited the trumpeter to premier the score live during two concerts in London’s Royal Albert Hall. This summer, before taking his own band on the road in support of Slowing Down the World, Botti will rejoin Paul Simon on tour.

Such versatility (he also appeared in two episodes of the daytime soap One Life to Live) puts Botti at the forefront of contemporary culture. He makes his own major contribution with Slowing Down the World, which takes its title from Botti’s deep interest in yoga, and reflects his concern that our fast-paced society’s obsession with technology and information-on-demand causes us to lose touch with ourselves. “If I sit down and listen to Miles Davis or Frank Sinatra, I can be drawn into the music to the point where everything else slows down,” he explains. “That’s where the title of this record comes from, and that’s what I hope people can do with this music.” Indeed, with the sumptuous and evocative Slowing Down the World, Chris Botti has made a recording that redefines the emotional landscape of popular music.