It’s been almost a quarter-century since Night Sessions, the 2001 smash hit that launched Chris Botti’s career into the stratosphere. His 2023 album, Vol. 1, is sure to be a cornerstone of his early-summer Tarrytown performance. We caught up with the artist who cut his teeth touring with Frank Sinatra and Buddy Rich about this current tour and future plans.
WM: What do you recall about first becoming interested music?
CB: My mother was a classical pianist, so I was always surrounded by music. She wanted me to learn piano first, so I started in first or second grade but didn’t take to it. Not long after that I saw an episode of The Tonight Show where Doc Severinsen, Johnny Carson’s charismatic band leader and trumpet player, walked out on stage and that’s what made me want to learn how to play the trumpet. Then when I was about 12, I heard Miles Davis play the trumpet, and that’s what locked it in for me.
WM: What was it like to release a new album after a 10-plus years hiatus?
CB: It was wonderful to come back. I had been playing a ton but just not making a record. It was great to work with [record producer, composer, and musician] David Foster and really nice to create a stripped-down record, where we could switch up stuff in the middle of the recording. For previous records, we could be standing in front of an 80-piece orchestra, which isn’t very freeing. With this record we could shift up the arrangement on the fly because there’s a lot more leeway since it’s more of a jazz album.
WM: We hear you have a popular fan cruise called Botti at Sea. What can you tell us about that?
CB: This is our second year. The first year we had David Foster, Kool and the Gang, Diana Krall, Katherine McPhee, and a bunch of other people, and next year will be Elvis Costello and Boz Scaggs. It’s been a really lovely experience to meet so many die-hard fans. Some have been to 20 different concerts and now they’re cruising with us. They don’t really get off the ship much—they stay on, listen to all the master classes, and watch all the interviews.
Catch Chris Botti June 5 in Tarrytown.
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