Track Listing

1. Embraceable You
2. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life? - Featuring Sting
3. My One And Only Love - Featuring Paula Cole
4. Let There Be Love - Featuring Michael Bubl�
5. What's New?
6. Good Morning Heartache - Featuring Jill Scott
7. To Love Again
8. Are You Lonesome Tonight? - Featuring Paul Buchanan
9. Lover Man - Featuring Gladys Knight
10. I'll Be Seeing You - Featuring Billy Childs
11. Pennies From Heaven - Featuring Renee Olstead
12. Here's That Rainy Day - Featuring Rosa Passos
13. Smile - Featuring Steven Tyler

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #57025 in Music
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2005-10-18
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Dual Disc
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Amazon.com
Somewhere, Kenny G is hiding behind his cascading ringlets in shame. Chris Botti, a jazz world super-talent whose trumpeting earns frequent comparisons to Miles Davis and Chet Baker, has found the formula for classing up the pop charts, and within it there's not a single soaring sax or tired attempt at career revivalism to be found. What we're treated to instead is an all-star lineup (Sting, Gladys Knight, Michael Buble and others) vocally saluting a musician whose resume reads like a page torn out of the Rock Snob's Dictionary: in addition to touring with Sting, Botti has played sideman to Paul Simon, Natalie Merchant, Joni Mitchell, and dozens more. Here that experience pays off handsomely. Gone are the matinee-idol smooth artist's earlier experiments with jazz synthesizers and pop-fusion compositions (see 2002's Night Sessions for those), and present in their place are his classical instincts. Gil Evans might have been his guide as the unmistakable opener "Embraceable You," one of a handful of instrumental tracks, swirls into the enchanting, ultra-sophisticated "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life," for instance, and listeners need not feel like fogies for loving it. If Steven Tyler can sign on to sing along with a traditional arrangement of Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" while the London Session Orchestra lays down its trademark jazz lushness behind him, after all, you can let down your guard long enough to admit this disc leaves you feeling vaguely dreamy. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews

Hauntingly Beautiful!
Chris Botti, a trumpeter-extraordinaire, has done it again after the success of "When I Fall In Love," my top favorite of all his albums which to date is #4 on Billboard Top 25 Albums. "To Love Again" is nothing but one of the best recordings of all-time. The CD Audio Side features Mr. Botti's thirteen attention-grabbing performances with his guest artists - Sting, Michael Bublé, Paula Cole, Gladys Knight, Jill Scott, Renee Olstead, Rosa Passos and Steven Tyler, with the London Session Orchestra conducted by Jeremy Lubbock, Billy Childs and Gil Goldstein.

The DVD Side showcases the entire CD tracks and four fabulous live performances and these are: "Flamenco Sketches" with guest saxophonist David Sanborn, "To Love Again," "I'll Be Seeing You" and "Milestones." The live performers include Billy Childs (piano), Anthony Wilson (guitar), Billy Kilson (drums) and Robert Hurst (bass). It's so nice to watch him on this DVD and see before your eyes how good he really is in his craft. He could well be in the league of the greatest trumpet players of all-time.

His most impressive trumpet virtuosity can be heard in his spellbinding renditions of all-instrumental-tracks from the repertoire: George and Ira Gershwin's "Embraceable You," the title track "To Love Again," "I'll Be Seeing You," which features Billy Childs on piano, and "What's New?" These beautiful works of art call for your welcoming ears and undivided attention to perfectly capture their charms!

Paula Cole, a Grammy awardee for the Best New Artist in 1998, steals the limelight with her emotionally-charged and superb vocals on "My One And Only Love," making it my new favorite version of this great song arranged by one of my favorite arrangers of all-time, Jeremy Lubbock. Sting shines with his outstanding rendition of one of the most beautiful compositions of the Bergmans and Legrand, "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?" His vocal artistry is just impeccable. I remember going round the bend over his version of "My One And Only Love" some years ago. It is still one of the most beautiful versions ever recorded.

Never to be outshined is Michael Bublé's refreshing take on "Let There Be Love," with fabulous arrangements by Gil Goldstein. Paul Buchanan's version of Elvis Presley's signature song "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" is so moving . . .

"Are you sorry we drifted apart?
Does your memory stray to a bright summer day?
. . . Is your heart filled with pain?"

On "Good Morning Heartache," Jill Scott is trying hard to make "heartache go away, get a job and leave her alone!" Gladys Knight sings "Lover Man" soulfully and coming from the heart.

The rest of the tracks are remarkable renditions of "Pennies From Heaven" by Renee Olstead, "Here's That Rainy Day" by Rosa Passos, and Steven Tyler's most heartfelt and moving treatment of Charlie Chaplin's "Smile," one of the most beautiful and uplifting songs of all-time.

"Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky you'll get by
If you smile through your fears and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through for you

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear maybe ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you'll . . . just smile."

This is truly one of my favorite works of art - it's hauntingly beautiful!

Thank you so much, Mr. Botti, for sharing your outstanding gift of music to the world. You are simply one of the best things that ever happened to jazz music!

Deserves my highest recommendation!

* * * * * TEN STARS * * * * *

Chris Botti is "Dave Sanborn+Rick Braun"
I now own three (3)Chris Botti CDs: When I Fall in Love; To Fall in Love and Midnight Without you.

I will say this: No, Chris Botti is neither Miles Davis nor Wynton Marsalis! He is neither of their stature nor in their class. And, he knows this!

The truth is that when his fans compare Chris to these true Jazz Greats, it becomes way too easy to dismiss Chris as a young and much less talented "wanna be!" Thus, these comparisons are fundamentally unfair to Chris. So, stop the madness!

The real truth is that Chris Botti is a wonderful musician in his own right, in his own class, and he has his own style.

His choices of vocalists are wonderful! Sting and Jill Scott and Paula Coles just seem to belong on his CDs!

I appreciate Chris and enjoy what he is now contributing to the field of 21st Century Music!

Delightful but watch out!
I pre-ordered this CD and when it was delivered I immediately tried to download it into ITunes and my IPOD. My computer could not read it and on the back in small small letters was the warning. Some computers may not be able to play this CD!! I am mad that this was not brought to my attention before I paid for it. I now have a CD that I can only play in my car.