I first heard Chris Botti during a special on the Oprah Winfrey Show and my first thought was "does this guy have a way with a trumpet or what?" Boy does he ever!
Right off the heels of the success of the wonderful CD A Thousand Kisses Deep he now comes with the release of When I Fall In Love. On which he certainly delivers his trademark very smooth trumpet sound.
This CD is not just another example of an artist from another genre jumping on the standards and ballads bandwagon. Instead it showcases wonderfully an instrumental stylist busting out of a box to find a much more suitable platform for his craft. It's easy to hear in the tracks on this smooth jazz CD that Botti is one who truly enjoys everyone of the songs featured on the CD.
The entire album simmers with soft but intense sensuality as Botti supplies his usual exceptional melodies and extraordinary combinations of understated but undeniable arrangements. I do not believe the combinations of bass and trumpet on track 2, What'll I Do? could be more perfect.
Botti enlists the vocal talents of none other than Sting, and Paula Cole who show's herself to be a very well chosen compliment to his own exceptional talent. Also appearing on the CD is keyboard genius Billy Childs.
When I Fall In Love is a CD that clearly showcases all of Botti's talent and is truly and outstanding production. It provides a real good mix of traditional standards and more modern romantic songs creating a song selection that is well designed for those who want to "get in the mood for love."
This is without a doubt one of the best CD's I've heard from Chris Botti, and is music that anyone can enjoy regardless of preference.
A must have if you're at all inclined to such musical tastes.
The standout tunes are Botti's rendition of the Sade classic, No Ordinary Love [track 3], Someone To Watch Over Me [track 7], and One For My Baby And One For The Road [track 12]. My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 8 featuring Sting, La Belle Dame Sans Regrets. Very nice!
Release Notes:
This CD was originally released September 28, 2004 on the Sony record label.
CD track list follows:
1. When I Fall In Love
2. What'll I Do?
3. No Ordinary Love
4. My Romance
5. Let's Fall In Love
6. Cinema Paradiso
7. Someone To Watch Over Me
8. La Belle Dame Sans Regrets
9. Nearness Of You
10. How Love Should Be
11. Make Someone Happy
12. One For My Baby And One More For The Road
13. Time To Say Goodbye (Con te Partiro)
To hear samples of each song on this CD go to Chris Botti CD - When I Fall In Love [ www.smoothlee.com/music-samples/chris-botti-when-i-fall-in-love.htm ]
Clyde Lee Dennis, a.k.a. "SmoothLee" has been bumping around on the web since 1999 and is a self described "Web Head, and Life long AVID music fan". Smooth Jazz Music in particular. In addition to writing CD Reviews for I Love Smooth Jazz.com he is also the Program Director, and can be heard during his daily radio show which airs on one of the internets most listened to smooth jazz radio stations, Smooth Jazz 24/7