Early career

Botti left Indiana University during his senior year for short touring stints with Frank Sinatra and Buddy Rich.^[9] In 1985, he moved to New York City to hone his craft as a studio musician.

In 1990, he began a decade long touring and recording relationship with Paul Simon which broadened his exposure to other singers.^[10] During that period, he also performed/recorded with Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Bette Midler, Joni Mitchell, Natalie Merchant, Scritti Politti, Roger Daltrey and others.

On August 15, 1991, Botti performed with Paul Simon in New York's Central Park as part of The Rhythm of the Saints tour. The performance was commercially released as the Concert in the Park CD. While on tour with Simon, he met saxophonist Michael Brecker, which led to Botti co-producing a track on the Brecker Brothers' Out of the Loop titled "Evocations".

Verve recordings (1995–2000)

Botti's solo debut, First Wish, was released in 1995; his second effort, Midnight Without You, which included a collaboration with Blue Nile vocalist Paul Buchanan, appeared in 1997. These were followed by Slowing Down the World in 1999,^[11] which included vocal contributions from Sting and Jonatha Brooke (also on the Midnight Without You release).

Botti composed the score and recorded a soundtrack for the 1996 film Caught.^[12]

In the late 1990s, Botti was a member of Bruford Levin Upper Extremities, a group exploring a more experimental, jazz fusion-oriented sound than his solo records.

Starting in 1999, Botti toured with Sting as a featured soloist in the Brand New Day tour. The two-year run culminated in All This Time, a CD/DVD-taping and webcast performance from Sting's estate in Tuscany on September 11, 2001. Botti says his close friendship with Sting was an important development in his career.^[13]

Columbia recordings (2001–2022)

Botti was introduced to Columbia by Bobby Colomby, drummer and founding member of Blood, Sweat & Tears, who went on to become his producer and manager.^[14] Botti's first Columbia release was Night Sessions in 2001. This was followed in 2002 by December, a holiday album, which included an original composition by Richard Marx. The project represented the only time Botti has performed vocals on two tracks.^[15]

A Thousand Kisses Deep, was released in 2003 and contained a group of originals and covers that accent Botti's crossover appeal as both a jazz and pop musician.^[16] When I Fall in Love followed in 2004, which featured a more traditional sound^[17] than its predecessor.

To Love Again: The Duets, released in 2005, continued where the previous album left off with more lush orchestral jazz via the London Session Orchestra, this time showcasing guest vocalists — as well as a handful of instrumental tracks.^[18]

In May 2005, Botti was invited to perform at Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball weekend honoring her African American heroines.^[19] In 2006, Billy Childs, Gil Goldstein & Heitor Pereira won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s): "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" (Chris Botti & Sting) from Botti's album To Love Again – The Duets.^[20] 2006 also marked his first PBS collaboration, Chris Botti Live: With Orchestra and Special Guests, released in early 2006. The CD and platinum-certified DVD included duets with Sting, Burt Bacharach, Gladys Knight, Jill Scott and Renee Olstead.^[21]

On September 25, 2007, Botti released an album entitled Italia. The album places focus on Botti's Italian roots through such songs as "Venice", "Estaté", and the title track "Italia", on which he partnered with Andrea Bocelli. In December 2007, the album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album.^[22] Botti also performed the song with Bocelli during the 2007 edition of the Teatro del Silenzio, which was released on DVD titled Vivere Live in Tuscany in 2008.

Early in 2009, Botti released his second CD/DVD PBS project, Chris Botti In Boston. Performing with the Boston Pops Orchestra, Botti shared the stage with Yo-Yo Ma, Steven Tyler, Josh Groban, Katharine McPhee, John Mayer, Sting, and others.^[23]

His first few releases are often classified as smooth jazz, though critic Alex Henderson argues that Botti's music was a cut above much of the genre; reviewing his 1999 album, Slowing Down the World, Henderson writes "it would be a major mistake to lump it in with... outright elevator muzak ... Botti is capable of a lot more."^[24] That same year as well as the following year, Botti appeared as a Pennington Great Performers series artist with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra.

On April 17, 2012, Botti released his tenth studio album Impressions. On February 10, 2013, the album received the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album.^[22]

On August 18, 2018, PBS released Botti's third PBS project, "Great Performances: The Chris Botti Band in Concert", where he was joined on stage by vocalists Sy Smith and Veronica Swift, violinist Caroline Campbell and organist Joey DeFrancesco, along with pianist Taylor Eigsti.^[25]

Blue Note Records and Vol. 1. (2023–present)

Botti's debut album on Blue Note Records entitled Vol. 1 is scheduled to be released October 20. The lead single "Old Folks" was released on August 18.^[26]

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilations

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in the United States.