Columbia Records Announces the Release of 'Italia,' The New Album From Jazz Chart-Topping Artist Chris Botti, on Tuesday, September 25

Columbia Records is proud to announce the release of Italia, the soulful and romantic new album from the contemporary jazz virtuoso trumpeter Chris Botti, on Tuesday, September 25.

Botti -- a gifted instrumentalist, a talented composer, and a charismatic performer -- has earned both critical acclaim and mainstream appreciation for a succession of best-selling albums including the #1 Top Jazz albums When I Fall In Love and To Love Again: The Duets. Italia is the first new studio album from Chris Botti since the release of To Love Again: The Duets in October 2005.

With his new album, Chris Botti, inspired by the sounds and atmosphere of Italy, has created a vibrant and sensual set of performances drawn from sources ranging from classical opera to the soundtracks of Ennio Morricone. Recorded in the United States, England, and Italy, Italia is a brilliant showcase for Botti's musical versatility as performer, composer and collaborator. The album includes the newly-composed title track featuring the passionate vocals of renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli as well as a new interpretation of "The Very Thought of You" with guest vocalist Paula Cole. In another of the album's duets, Botti adds his touch to a vocal performance originally recorded in 1957 by the "forever cool" Dean Martin on "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face," a song first written for "My Fair Lady."

On Italia, Botti re-imagines two beloved compositions -- "Deborah's Theme" (from "Once Upon A Time In America") and "Gabriel's Oboe" (from "The Mission") -- by the venerated Italian composer Ennio Morricone, recent recipient of an Honorary Academy Award® "for his magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music."

Among the many treasures of Italia, Chris Botti creates a breathtaking new rendition of "Nessun dorma" ("Let no one sleep") from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera "Turandot." The song entered popular consciousness in 1990, when it was adopted as the official theme of the Italia '90 World Cup.

  For more information:

  www.chrisbotti.com
  www.columbiarecords.com

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SOURCE: Columbia Records

CONTACT: Tom Muzquiz, Columbia Records, +1-310-449-2503,
Tom.Muzquiz@sonybmg.com, or Claire Mercuri, +1-917-940-2499,
Claire.Mercuri@gmail.com

Web site: http://www.columbiarecords.com/
http://www.chrisbotti.com/