On First Wish by trumpet player Chris Botti you can clearly hear pop influences. He plays his instrument as if it should play a vocal role in the songs. Co-producer of this album by Botti, who also plays with Paul Simon, is Kevin Hillen (U2, Peter Gabriel, Elvis Costello). The songs sound melodic and are perhaps quite comparable to what is on the Jeff Lorber-produced albums by saxophonist Art Porter,
… which also appeared on the sub-label Verve Forecast. Cooperation was provided by, among others, Steve Ferrone (drums) and Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone). A must for fans of trendy, poppy jazz.more
