Smooth Sailing Expected, but Some Rough C’s Ahead

CHRIS BOTTI

“Slowing Down the World”

GRP

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Trumpeter Botti’s first GRP album (he recorded two previous CDs for Verve as a leader) starts out with the sound of a somewhat moody but well-crafted smooth-jazz outing. Botti brings some high-level skills to his playing and, even in the tracks clearly calculated for new adult contemporary airplay, he generates a substantial degree of musical quality.

But the album takes an unexpected turn on the fourth track, when Sting shows up to sing a lush, string-laden version of “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning,” with Botti adding lovely curlicues behind the melody. And on some of the succeeding pieces--notably the original “The Open Touch”--the presence of players such as Bob James, Alex Acuna and Jeff Lorber combine with Botti’s cool-sounding lines to produce some fine examples of what smooth jazz, at its best, can be.

There is also “Letting Go,” a lush, dramatic-sounding piece from composer-arranger Anne Dudley showcasing Botti’s lyrical muted trumpet over a rich carpet of strings. And, as a final plus, there is a rendering of Randy Newman’s captivating, overlooked ballad “Same Girl,” featuring Botti on trumpet and vocals, accompanied by a remarkably subtle synthesized setting from C.J. Vanston.

With Botti’s looks, trumpet and voice, comparisons to Chet Baker are inevitable, although Botti’s dedication to a yoga-influenced lifestyle will hopefully result in a considerably different career path. In any case, expect a breakout soon from this talented young artist.

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CRAIG CHAQUICO

“Four Corners”

Higher Octave

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The album title pretty much tells it all here. Guitarist Chaquico, a veteran of the ‘70s Jefferson Starship and a prominent smooth-jazz performer since the ‘80s, has assembled a group of tunes inspired by the Southwestern landscape. Interestingly, he has done it at the same time that his friend and occasional musical partner, Russ Freeman, has done a similar album with his group the Rippingtons. And the pieces, which range from “Arizona Daybreak” to “Red Rocks,” “Turquoise Moon” and the title track, have a pleasantly easygoing, atmospheric quality. The one real exception is an odd instrumental version of Jefferson Airplane’s classic “Somebody to Love.” But, in general, Chaquico’s playing is pleasantly done, the tracks are executed with a certain amount of rhythmic movement, and the album would make a nice soundtrack accompaniment for a leisurely drive from, say, Albuquerque to Taos, N.M. (Chaquico and his band perform on a bill with the Rippingtons on Friday at Universal Amphitheatre.)--D.H.

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