Slowing Down the World

1	Irresistible Bliss 5:02
2	The Look 4:22
3	Drive Time 5:33
4	In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning 4:28
5	The Open Touch 6:00
6	Under A Painted Sky 4:13
7	Why Not 3:39
8	The Place Between Us 4:38
9	Same Girl 3:44
10	Where I'm Calling From 5:50
11	Letting Go 2:09

Barnes & Noble

Trumpeter Chris Botti gets the kind of tone on his horn that snuggles up to your ear. Round and warm, shapely and oh-so-tart, it's a sound that practically whispers sweet nothings. Botti also knows exactly what type of material his trumpeting will fit to a tee. Be it funky -- "Irresistible Bliss" -- mellow -- "The Look" -- or poignant -- "Where I'm Calling From" -- he always finds a just-right groove and appropriate mood to showcase his hornwork. The lush arrangements set off his lithe blowing like a diamond in velvet. Botti does get help from his friends: There's the contemporary update on the Frank Sinatra standard "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," enhanced by a gorgeous vocal assist from Sting. Mellow musicianship at its best, this is the perfect album to listen to when you feel like slowing the world down. William Pearl

All Music Guide

Those who heard Chris Botti playing live in the 1990s realized just how much he had going for him as a trumpeter -- not only an appealing sound (sort of a combination of Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Art Farmer, and Chuck Mangione) and sizable chops, but also a lot of warmth and charisma. Botti's studio recordings, meanwhile, were decent, even though they fell short of his potential. Like his previous efforts, Botti's third album, Slowing Down the World, consists primarily of mellow, light pop-jazz designed for the adult contemporary audience. This is unchallenging music, and yet it would be a major mistake to lump it in with the outright elevator muzak that Kenny G, Dave Koz, Najee, and Richard Elliot were known for. Caressing instrumentals like "Why Not" and "Irresistible Bliss" definitely fall into the easy listening category, but they're more soulful, honest, and substantial than a lot of 1990s adult contemporary fare. Although dominated by instrumentals, this CD offers a few vocals -- Sting has a pleasant, if unremarkable, spot on "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," while Botti himself provides an unexpected vocal on Randy Newman's "Same Girl." Clearly, Botti's singing owes as much to Baker as his trumpet playing -- like Baker, Botti doesn't have much of a voice, but is nonetheless expressive and intimate. Slowing Down the World is a pleasant collection of mood music, but make no mistake -- Botti is capable of a lot more. Alex Henderson