An instrumentalist who can play straight-ahead as well as smooth jazz with his own personal sound and not a small amount of charisma and stage presence, Chris Botti is truly a star in the world of jazz and beyond. The trumpeter has thoroughly established himself as one of the important, innovative figures of the contemporary music world.
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Botti’s career was not an overnight success. Nonetheless, he went on to release a slew of not only top-selling albums, but also GRAMMY award-winning ones. Since the release of his 2004 critically acclaimed album, When I Fall In Love, Chris Botti has become the largest-selling American instrumental artist. His success has crossed over to audiences usually reserved for pop music and his ongoing association with PBS has led to four #1 jazz albums, as well as multiple Gold, Platinum and GRAMMY Awards. His album, Impressions, won the GRAMMY for Best Pop Instrumental. Performing worldwide and selling more than 4 million albums, he has found a form of creative expression that begins in jazz and expands beyond the limits of any single genre.
Over the past three decades, Botti has recorded and performed with the best in music, including Sting, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Josh Groban, Yo-Yo Ma, Michael Bublé, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, John Mayer, Andrea Bocelli, Joshua Bell, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and even Frank Sinatra. The trumpeter has also performed with many of the finest symphonies and at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, from Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl to the Sydney Opera House and the Real Teatro di San Carlo in Italy. His bands have always featured top-notch jazz players, many of whom are established leaders on their own – from Geoffrey Keezer to Billy Childs. The man seems to do it all and do it with style.