Impressions in Bloomington, MN

Trumpeter
Chris Botti
follows up his 2007 classical-themed album
Italia
and his smash 2009 concert album
Live in Boston
with 2012's
Impressions
. In many ways,
combines the best of those two earlier albums by featuring more of the classical crossover and Latin-inflected style of
with a few pop reinterpretations and a handful of guest vocalists as in much of his previous work. Produced by famed fusion drummer and longtime
Botti
associate
Bobby Colomby
,
is a languid and expertly crafted album in which
's burnished, lyrical trumpet tone is often framed against lush orchestrations via arrangers including
Vince Mendoza
Gil Goldstein
, and others. To these ends, we get a gorgeous take on
Frederic Chopin
's Prelude No. 20 in C Minor, a duet with opera star
Andrea Bocelli
on the
David Foster
/
composition "Per Te [For You]," and a moving,
Miles Davis
-inspired duo version of
R. Kelly
's "You Are Not Alone" featuring guitarist
Leonardo Amuedo
. Also intriguing are such cuts as
's brooding and sultry collaboration with jazz piano legend
Herbie Hancock
on "Tango Suite," his yearning, cinematic take on
Astor Piazzolla
's "Oblivion" with violinist
Caroline Campbell
, and his stark duet on the
Gershwin
standard "Summertime" with pianist
Foster
. Elsewhere, we get a Broadway-inspired rendition of
Randy Newman
's "Losing You" featuring country singer
Vince Gill
, a re-pairing with guitarist
Amuedo
on the classic "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and an inspired interpretation of the
Louis Armstrong
number "What a Wonderful World" featuring guitarist/singer
Mark Knopfler
. As with most of
's oeuvre,
is a lyrical, romantic, and impeccably produced album that makes the most of the trumpeter's generous skills. ~ Matt Collar