1. Regroovable
2. First Wish
3. Drive Time
4. Midnight Without You with The Blue Nile
5. Worlds Outside
6. Forgiven
7. Why Not
8. Mr. Wah
9. Like I Do Now
10. The Way Home
11. Irresistible Bliss
A musician does not become one of the chosen trumpet players to tour
with, amongst others, Paul Simon and Sting unless he is possessed
of a certain amount of talent and proficiency. I enjoyed the tracks
by Chris Botti to be found on " More Smooth Jazz On A Summer's
Day" but do not have the same feelings about this Best Of compilation.
I found the music entertaining in small doses but feel that a whole
disc is a little too much of a good thing.
I must state, from the beginning, that Botti is a technically accomplished
player who fits the "Smooth Jazz " categorisation most adequately.
However, the pieces to be heard here are rather too interchangeable
in style and content. There is a depressingly recurrent rock beat
throughout which, to my ears, relegates much of the content to the
category of background or "lift " music.
Botti mines the vein covered in the past by such players as Eddie
Henderson and Chuck Mangione and fails top bring anything new to the
genre. This is easy on the ear stuff but it will not hold the attention
of any but the most casual listener. The trumpet sound is enhanced
on all tracks with a great deal of reverb and other effects. It seems
a shame that a player with such instrumental ability could not find
anything more interesting to say.
The vocals are at best mediocre and the songs themselves fall into
the area that can only be described as tedious. If I were to be buying
a current releases on this label I feel sure that there would be many
I would chose in preference to this one. It is a pity, Botti is obviously
a player who is not revealing his full potential by working in this
rather restrained area of music.
Dick Stafford
CD Reviews
GRP 589- 848-2
