The Police

Best Reunion Tour:

The Police, hands down!

Van Halen, Genesis, and The Eagles were among the bands who reunited and went on the road this year. But, The Police were the clear winners.

The Police rocked and ruled the concert box office in 2007 harder than the rest. People excitedly paid a lot of moola to see the trio, making it the top-selling, top-grossing ($243 Million!) concert tour of the year. The Police hadn’t played together in more than two decades, and even though they didn’t play nice when they were together, Sting, Andy and Stewart proved they can still rock the stadiums and arenas as they did in the 80s.

Viva Italia!

My first exposure to trumpeter Chris Botti was in 1999 from the front row at Sting’s Brand New Day concert in Miami. As I am good with names, I recognized it when I saw some of his CD’s at the record store a couple years later. After debating over which album to buy, I settled on his The Very Best Of collection. It was just a taste though, and I craved more of his smoothness and his interesting interpretations of standards.

I am a big fan of his Christmas album, December, mostly because it’s not the same old holiday fare. His masterpiece though is 2004’s When I Fall In Love. It’s my favorite of his albums, and the album that made critics realize that Botti was worth their attention and recognition. The follow up, To Love Again, is a great set as well. It’s all duets with Botti and his favorite singers, including Sting, Paula Cole, Gladys Knight, Steven Tyler, and Michael Bublé.

His interpretations are thoughtful and his original compositions are impressive. He’s smooth without actually being in that Smooth Jazz category. He improvises, and has a touch of Miles, but doesn’t go on for twelve minutes. He’s in a genre of his own, and that’s what makes him so remarkable.

His current release, Italia, is a formidable set of compositions ranging from film music to classical opera, along with the newly composed title track. It captures the romance and sweeping atmosphere of Italy, and shows Botti’s strength as a composer and interpreter.

The opener, Deborah’s Theme (from Once Upon A Time In America) and Gabriel’s Oboe (from The Mission) are works of the accomplished Italian composer Ennio Morricone. While Morricone’s original Deborah’s Theme is entirely classical with a full orchestra, Botti interprets it with very little accompaniment, letting his trumpet shine on this shorter version. The title track, Italia, is a duet with one of Italy’s greatest tenors, Andrea Bocelli. Bocelli’s passion for music and his homeland bring this song to a higher level. Having the Tuscany-born Bocelli here is a wonderful addition to Botti’s tribute to Italy. Paula Cole, a frequent collaborator of Botti’s, offers her sensual vocals to a new rendition of Ray Noble’s The Very Thought Of You. Botti’s trumpet adds a touch of magic to the 1957 vocal recording of I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face by Dean Martin. Had Dino been alive to hear this, he would’ve been as pleased as Botti must be. Puccini’s Nessun Dorma from the opera Turandot gets a stunning interpretation. Ave Maria is done so beautifully here; there’s a choir to create the religious and breathtaking characteristics of Schubert’s masterpiece.

Italia will transport you to the lushness and romance of Italy with the very first note. Botti brings new life to old standards and adds something extra to already perfect compositions. His work only continues to improve with each new release. Italia is masterful and quite beautiful, and evidence that Botti is the premier trumpeter of his time.

Go to the Blogroll on the right to view some of Botti’s live performances.

Free bonus track downloads/CDs at: Chris Botti

Happy Birthday, Sting!

Sting has been one of my favorite musicians since his days with The Police, although I become more of a fan of his solo material. Plus, he’s so good-looking… I saw him (barely, because of obstructed view seating) during The Police’s Synchronicity tour, and fell in love with his voice and became somewhat obsessed with him. Although I was not a fan of his orange hair stage, I still loved him from his Every Breath You Take video. Every Little Thing She Does is Magic is one of my favorite songs to this day. I bought all Police albums on vinyl, and played them continuously. I welcomed his first solo effort, Dream of the Blue Turtles, with great excitement. His second album, Nothing Like The Sun is one of my favoite albums of all time. In 1985, I attended my first of five or six of his concerts, the last in 1999. The reason that was the last – I had first row center (less than 10 feet away) and thought that would be a good way to say adios to my obsession. Since then, I’ve discovered some gems (in English and Italian) which he’s contributed to soundtracks and other artists’ albums. Among them, the standards, Someone to Watch Over Me, My One and Only Love, and The Windmills of My Mind. He has a way of incorporating exotic musical forms with intelligent lyrics, along with finding excellent musicians to play on his albums and collaborate with.

Happy 56th Birthday, Sting! You don’t look a day over 49.

For some Sting tunes, go to the Blogroll on the right and click: Sting Songs