Chris Botti Blows into Worcester!

Author Unknown, Allaboutjazz.com

Music Worcester, Inc. presents jazz trumpet great, Chris Botti and Band on Saturday, May 15, 2010 at the Hanover Theatre for Performing Arts, 8PM. Sponsored by Fletcher, Tilton and Whipple, P.C., this appearance represents just one of Bottis 250-plus days on the road performing. Cream of the crop musicians in Botti's band round out his amazing sound while recent notable performances include the World Series and Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony.

For three decades, Botti has performed and recorded with the best in music including Frank Sinatra, Sting, Josh Groban, Michael Buble, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, John Mayer, Andrea Bocelli, Joshua Bell and Aerosmith's own Steven Tyler.

Since the release of his 2004 critically acclaimed CD When I Fall In Love, Chris Botti has become the largest selling American jazz instrumental artist. His success has crossed over to audiences usually reserved for pop music and his ongoing association with PBS has led to four #1 Jazz Albums, as well as multiple Gold, Platinum & Grammy Awards. He has sold nearly 3 million albums world-wide.

Not only is Botti well known for his chops as a trumpeter, his fabulous good looks have not escaped notice either; People Magazine voted him one of their 50 Most Beautiful People in 2004.

Garnering rave reviews whenever he performs, The New York Times has said Botti is: “Adult Contemporary's Darling... and It's easy to like trumpeter Chris Botti. ...an image of pensive romance, achieving stardom in the realm of adult-contemporary pop...Mr. Botti's sumptuous, limpid instrumental voice was the focus of the show."

As is common with everything internet today, followers of Botti can read his biography, check tour dates, see recent photos and read posts from Botti himself at chrisbotti.com. Of particular note is a recent post on his News page, dated April 1, regarding a fellow trumpeter from Krakow, Poland, involved in a car accident. Botti asks fans for well-wishes for a speedy recovery for his friend, Simon, who appears in a photo with Botti and looks to be only ten or eleven-years old.

Indeed, Botti seems emotionally connected to his fan base, often sharing personal stories about his rise to fame while on stage. At a recent concert in Grand Rapids, MI, Botti chatted easily with the audience about being a college drop-out and his music idols, one of whom is Miles Davis, with whom he also once shared a brownstone, on West 77th in New York City during his formative days. (Later in the evening he dedicated “My Funny Valentine" to Davis.)

An Evening with Chris Botti and Band and one final concert by the Worcester Chorus in June (The Soul of American Music, United Congregational Church, Worcester, Saturday, June 5) marks the end of Music Worcesters sesquicentennial season. The 150th Anniversary Season of Music Worcester (originally known as the Worcester Music Festival) is recognized by the National Library of Congress as the oldest, continually running music festival in the nation.

Since 1858, Music Worcester, Inc. has had a rich tradition of offering the finest music programming and currently offers a full season of artistically diverse and world-renowned, international music and dance performances. Concerts are performed at Mechanics Hall, Tuckerman Hall and the Hanover Theatre. For more information on this seasons program, or for tickets, go to musicworcester.org or call 508.754.3231 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting508.754.3231end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Music Worcester is located at 323 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608.