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Chris Botti; David Sanborn

Friday, March 24 • 8pm

The finest in Contemporary Jazz from trumpet star Botti and saxman Sanborn.

Following his Billboard chart-topping success with 2004’s When I Fall in Love, Chris Botti makes his SFJAZZ debut in the wake of 2005’s follow-up disc of jazz and pop standards, To Love Again —“a wonderfully moody work” (JazzTimes). Last year also produced two Grammy nominations for Chris: one for the song “What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life?” (with Sting) and one for “In Our Time” (with Burt Bacharach). Seven-time Grammy-winner and Contemporary Jazz godfather David Sanborn lights up the other half of the bill with his trademark “incandescent tone” (Washington Post). As USA Today wrote: “Sanborn is known for a cool but gritty sound, a sound that has wowed his fans for more than 30 years.”

Program Notes

Over the last two years, Chris Botti has become jazz’s hottest instrumentalist, and with his two chart-scaling albums, When I Fall in Love and To Love Again, he has become the commercial trumpet king. A singular-voiced trumpeter with an icy-cool tone, Botti describes his albums as “instrumental pop with jazz flavoring,” and notes that their success in the mainstream surprised him.

Of When I Fall in Love, Botti says, “I wanted to make a jazz record that was easy to digest and be enjoyed as a lifestyle listen while also being appreciated by musicians for the music and its high quality of recording. This music is sophisticated and romantic.”

A disciple of Miles Davis’ work with Gil Evans, Botti counts as his fans Sting (who sings on Botti’s last two albums) and Oprah Winfrey (whose recommendation of When I Fall in Love dramatically spiked sales). While on disc he delivers dreamily romantic fare, his touring band—comprising pianist Billy Childs, bassist James Genus and drummer Billy Kilson—transform ballads into scorchers, pump up the funk and improvise adventurously. “I make records so we can play live,” Botti says. “I could go out with an R&B band backing me and just play melodies, but I want to perform with guys who are in command of their instruments.”

While Botti makes his SFJAZZ debut, seven-time Grammy-winner and Contemporary Jazz godfather David Sanborn returns with his own “incandescent tone” (Washington Post) and distinctive alto saxophone voice. He too has garnered crossover success as a soloist on pop tracks by the likes of James Taylor and Stevie Wonder, while also excelling in the straight-up jazz zone. The MusicHound Jazz guide calls Sanborn “an exciting and emotive performer who is influenced as much by Maceo Parker as Charlie Parker.” As USA Today wrote: “Sanborn is known for a cool but gritty sound, a sound that has wowed his fans for more than 30 years.”

— Dan Ouellette