By Michael Swanger michael@dmcityview.com

Chris Botti's melancholy sound strikes a chord

When we rang Chris Botti on his cell phone last week, he was doing what he loves best (other than playing trumpet) - strolling the streets of SoHo and frequenting sidewalk cafes. It's the kind of romantic image his velvety, sublime music portrays, one we've come to expect from a jazz heartthrob with legions of female admirers, among them Oprah Winfrey and former girlfriend Katie Couric.

"I just love your music," a woman says, interrupting our conversation. "My daughter sent me your CD and she loves you, too."

Such is life for the 43-year-old acclaimed trumpeter whose jazz-pop albums appeal to traditional jazz fans and mainstream audiences. His latest effort for Columbia Records, "To Love Again," which includes duets with Sting, Jill Scott, Gladys Knight and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, debuted at the top of Billboard's jazz charts and No. 18 on its Top 200 best-selling album list. Early sales indicate it will outpace his previous and RIAA Gold-certified release, "When I Fall in Love." And next month, PBS debuts a concert filmed in Los Angeles.

But for all of Botti's (pronounced Bo-dee) chart-topping success, he leads a Zen-like life. While most musicians brag about living on the road, Botti literally does. With no permanent residence, each day he hauls two suitcases stuffed with designer clothes by Prada, Gucci and Costume National from hotel to hotel. He's one of a few jazz artists whose shows are so in demand that he plays 250 to 300 of them a year and doesn't need a home.

"I feel fortunate to be in the position of keeping the same group of musicians on the road," he says. "It's hard to do that in jazz; it's not like you grow up as a band and drive around in a van. I've been able to attract the best musicians and keep them together and that's been the most gratifying thing for me."

At no time is that pride more evident than now. Like his idol before him, Miles Davis, whose bittersweet sound inspired him to play trumpet, the Oregon native eagerly shares the limelight with his musicians each night. They include pianist Billy Childs, guitarist Marc Whitfield, drummer Billy Kilson, bassist Jon Ossman and vocalist Jeanne Jolly. And between them and their bandleader, the group boasts seven current Grammy nominations.

"This is my favorite combo of musicians," Botti says. "It's one of the finest jazz groups out there. I'm just proud to be in it."

That all-star group takes on legendary status with the temporary inclusion of iconic jazz saxophonist David Sanborn, with whom Botti is co-headlining a tour this month. The trumpeter calls it "the ultimate super band."

And though Botti feels fortunate to work with such amazing musicians, respect begets respect, so it's no surprise high-caliber players are eager to work with him. To assemble the all-star lineup of singers for his new album, he called upon his friends. When he phoned Tyler, for example, Botti says the hall of fame rocker was on vacation and immediately agreed to participate, no questions asked.

"The biggest reward from that record was the enthusiasm everyone had to sing on it," Botti says. "The Grammy nominations and the chart positions are great, but ultimately the way you interact with other musicians is the most important thing to me."

Botti learned how to interact with other musicians at an early age. His mother is a classically trained pianist, and following his move to New York City in 1986, he studied under the late trumpeter Woody Shaw. A series of side jobs with the likes of Paul Simon and Natalie Merchant not only led him to a watershed partnership with Sting in 1999, they also helped him define his sound and his audience. Unlike most "jazz players" steeped in the bebop tradition, Botti prefers to paint broad, textural musical canvases that owe more to romance and ambiance than pure improvisation, though you'll never hear him play the same song the same way twice.

"The word 'jazz' has become such a broad thing, but to some it's very small," he says. "Some feel Norah Jones is jazz and to others jazz is Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane. But what it comes down to is adult music."

Call it what you want, jazz or pop, but Botti has earned the respect of his peers and the adoration of mainstream audiences. It's an impressive feat for someone whose music is best summed up in a Joni Mitchell lyric - "there's comfort in melancholy."

"There's a fine line between heartbreak and love," Botti says. "It's a compliment when someone tells me my music put them in a place when where they were almost in tears." CV

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