Since the release of his 2004 album When I Fall in Love, jazz trumpeter Chris Botti has become the top selling American instrumental artist.
Botti’s four No. 1 jazz albums, multiple gold and platinum records and a Grammy Award have earned him a spot on center stage alongside the world’s finest symphonies and legendary musicians. Throughout the past three decades, Botti has recorded and performed with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Josh Groban, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, John Mayer, Michael Bublé, Sting and more. For measure, he has also been named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine.
Botti will perform at 7:30 p.m. May 8 at the Jeannie B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts, 100 W. Dublin-Granville Rd., New Albany, in conjunction with the Center Stage Gala. This annual event raises money to support the ongoing mission of the McCoy Center and includes a buffet desert reception.
Botti took time out on his tour to speak with CityScene about his motivation, melancholy music and working with Sting.
CityScene: What is your career highlight thus far?
Chris Botti: Playing in Boston, for our DVD. (Botti played at the Boston Symphony Hall in 2008 with a variety of musicians, including the Boston Pops Orchestra, Steven Tyler, Sting, Groban, Mayer, Yo-Yo Ma and Katherine McPhee to record Chris Botti Live in Boston). That performance encompassed my best recording to date, I think, but it was more about all of these superstars from all over the world who came to share that moment with me out of respect. That mutual respect from artists is something I am and will be forever grateful for.
CS: Who are your musical influences?
CB: I am most proud of my association with Sting – by a long shot. He gave me a career. He said, ‘Do this, open for me and I’m going to make you a superstar,’ and he did it. (Botti opened for Sting in 1999 and worked closely with him throughout the subsequent two years).
There are very few musicians who came from a background role into the spotlight. Sheryl Crow was a backup for Michael Jackson and there are a couple of others, but that’s it. Sting changed everything for me with the opportunities he gave me. I learned from the best and to this day, we’re like family. He’s my biggest and best supporter.
CS: You have done many collaborations, is there anyone you haven’t played with that you would like to?
CB: If you have an in with Peter Gabriel, let me know. I’ve always wanted to work with him. And also Randy Newman.
CS: Your tour runs more than 250 days out of the year, how do you spend what little free time you have?
CB: Well, I don’t have a lot of free time and yet when I do, I’m not at my happiest. I get anxious when I’m not doing anything. I am at my happiest when I’m on road with the band – that’s my family.
CS: How do you stay motivated?
CB: One of the biggest things that motivates me is fear. My success didn’t happen until I was 42. Usually if you’re younger, like 22, and your career starts, you get this sense of entitlement early on, but that’s a big mistake because you could wake up one day and not have a fan base. And I know what it’s like to not have a fan base. I played once in San Francisco, about 11 years ago, and there was nobody in the audience. Literally not one person. So, I’m very aware and appreciative of these people who come out to see me play, who spend money and get a babysitter and make plans. It’s a big honor for me to play music for the audience because they’re there.
CS: The charts prove a lot, but why do you personally think there is such a huge response to your music?
CB: When I first started out in music, there was this notion that instrumental music had to be happy and cheery and bright. I think that makes music sound cheesy and so I was always fighting it. To me, music should move you, and that comes more from the melancholy stuff. When you’re down or having a bad day and you hear this slower, more somber sound, you can’t be alone in that. People want to be transported; they want music to be cinematic and heartbreaking. So once I started leaning toward that, when I got away from the sunshiny, ‘everything’s rosy’ trumpet playing, I started selling more and being more successful. I fell in love with that sound and started to worry less about the radio and more about just making beautiful music. Besides, the trumpet sounds better when it’s classical, regal.
CS: Will you still be maintaining this pace in five years?
CB: I hope so. I always feel like I am at the precipice of going away and so it’s important to always step it up. You can have a record out and sell tickets, but the moment you say, ‘I’ve made it,’ it’s over. This industry can turn on you on a dime, and you need to keep real determination and keep pushing and engaging with the fans. It’s a chess game – everything hangs in a balance.
CS: What can we expect from your New Albany performance?
CB: People will think it’s just a guy with a trumpet, but we win people over one gig at a time.
When we play a concert, we rock out. It’s very different from my melancholy albums. I travel with these wonderful singers and musicians and the last thing we do is re-duplicate my albums. I hope the audience leaves surprised, saying, ‘Wow, we had no idea this would be such a big time rock show… A sophisticated rock show.’
If you go …
Chris Botti will perform at 7:30 p.m. May 8 at the Jeannie B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts, 100 W. Dublin-Granville Rd., New Albany. His appearance is in conjunction with the Center Stage Gala, which raises money to support the venue’s ongoing mission. The price of admission includes a buffet dessert reception following the performance. Dress for the evening is business attire.
To purchase tickets, visit www.mccoycenterforthearts.com or call 614-245-4701.
Alicia Kelso is editor of CityScene.