The supremely talented Smooth Jazz Trumpet playing Chris Botti has released a remarkable CD entitled Midnight Without You.

It’s my belief that Botti is one of the finest musicians America has ever produced, and as if that weren’t enough he is growing into the status of being a top notch composer as well. Composing every tune on this CD release.

As a trumpet player, Botti’s offerings are always heartfelt with truly artful phrasings. His full artistic excellence is on full display on Midnight Without You, offering a ten track collection that is most certainly some of his best work ever.

The CD launches with a great track, The Steps Of Positano, and proceeds to display why Botti is considered one the greatest smooth jazz artists of our time as he mixes his signature, romantic style throughout the CD.

Ladies and gentlemen what we have here is trumpet playing excellence.

This is simply an outstanding CD and is a perfect companion for relaxation, or driving, and also mixes well with cocktail and dinner parties.

The title track Midnight Without You with Paul Buchanan I have to say is artistry on the highest level.

As a side note guys, the ladies always respond VERY well to Chris Botti’s music. Just for reading along today I’m going to pass along a tip. Carve out some alone time with your significant other, put this one on, light a few candles, turn off the lights and the two of you will be behaving like grown folk in no time flat. You’re welcome!

I give Midnight Without You and most, if not all of Chris Botti’s work two thumbs up. Very highly recommended not only for smooth jazz lovers but also for any and everyone who appreciates fine music.

While this entire CD is outstanding the truly standout tunes and SmoothJazz247.com favorites are Regroovable [track 3, The Way Home [track 5, and Forgiven [track 9. My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore […as in Stuck On REpeat is track 2, Midnight Without You. Very nice!

Release Notes:

Chris Botti originally released Midnight Without You on May 20, 1997 on the Polygram Records label.

CD track list follows:

1. The Steps Of Positano
2. Midnight Without You
3. Regroovable
4. Never Gone
5. The Way Home
6. When Rain Falls
7. Until Now
8. Mr. Wah
9. Forgiven
10. Alone In The City

To listen to samples of each song on Midnight Without You by Chris Botti go to: Chris Botti CD – Midnight Without You Samples

Lee Dennis, a.k.a. SmoothLee is an AVID music fan, smooth jazz in particular, and in addition to writing CD Reviews for http://www.ILoveSmoothJazz.com he can also be heard during his radio show which airs online daily at http://www.SmoothJazz247.com

My niece loves Indian films and Indian film music. To her, as to most of the world, this exuberant, colorful, romantic and just-plain-fun genre is summed up in one word: Bollywood.

I confess that I’ve become taken with Bollywood as well, though not to the same extent as my niece, who owns a number of Indian movies and regularly rents others. The Bollywood well is so deep that I have to confine myself to watching those few of its productions that bubble up to catch the attention of American movie reviewers. Otherwise I would be lost in Indian ocean of unfamiliar movie titles, actors and actresses.

My niece also collects CDs of Bollywood music. There’s an Asian market near her home that offers a cornucopia of them. But she has the same problem choosing CDs to buy that I do deciding which Bollywood movie may be worth my time. Unless she’s seen the film from which a soundtrack derives, she’s usually in the dark as to whether a particular CD’s songs and artists are ones she will enjoy.

At her request, I set up a way for her to preview a variety of Bollywood songs and even to live with them on her iPod for a while, all for free. This way she can make informed decisions about which CDs she ultimately purchases.

First, I searched for Indian music Web sites, and specifically for those devoted to Bollywood, or at least modern popular music (as opposed, say, to classical Indian ragas). I found several good ones, with names such as Bollywood World and India FM.

Most of the Web sites I found offered song samples, meaning 30-second or 1-minute snippets. Some had full audio streams that allowed the visitor to listen to continuous Bollywood music for as long as she or he might want. It was these latter that provided the first half of our solution.

Normally, streaming audio, such as what you hear over an Internet radio station, cannot be saved or downloaded. New software, though, makes it possible to record the stream to your hard drive for replaying as often as you like.

Even better, some of the newest audio capture software incorporates something called an mp3 splitter. This software is able to break the audio stream into separate mp3 song files. By the way, this is perfectly legal, because you’re simply recording a broadcast, the same as when you record a TV show on your VHS. Voila — we had the second half of our solution.

Between the audio streams and splitter/recording software, we created our own virtual Bollywood mp3 download sites.

Now whenever my niece is in a mood to explore the latest tuneful offerings from Bollywood, she clicks on her favorite Indian-music Internet radio station, then starts the recording software. Pretty soon she has enough Bollywood mp3s to shuffle through for the rest of the week, and she’s almost guaranteed to find two or three that will spur her to make a trip to the CD bin down at the Asian store.

With the release of For Her Walter Beasley makes his much anticipated debut on the Heads Up record label.

As the story goes the CDs title, For Her, comes as a result of the fact that when Walter first started making it he had just started seeing a new and special woman so it just made sense to him to call it For Her. However at some point during the process of completing the project he broke up with Her. Walter kept the title because he felt she was the emotional inspiration behind the album.

At any rate this is a Very Smooth, Smooth Jazz CD. One of those CDs that goes great with a fireplace, your favorite bottle of wine and your significant other.

The title track, For Her [track 2 and Don’t Say Good Night [track 6 are tunes that will get anybody in the mood.

On Don’t Say Goodnight, and Things Change [track 10 […referring to the break up Walter lends his vocal capabilities. Which come off silky smooth, just like his sax playing.

Smooth Jazz, and Walter Beasley fans will enjoy the mix between soul and smooth jazz on this release.

Overall this CD is a real pleasure to listen to as Walter certainly does not disappoint, and is in my opinion some of his best work.

The standout tunes are Good Morning [track 4, Grace [track 8, and Let’s Ride [track 9. My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore […as in Stuck On REpeat is track 5, Lost What Ya’ Feelin?. Very nice!

Release Notes:

This CD was originally released May 24, 2005 on the Heads Up label.

CD track list follows:

1. She’s All That
2. For Her
3. Coolness
4. Good Morning
5. What Ya’ Feelin’?
6. Don’t Say Goodnight
7. Remember When
8. Grace
9. Let’s Ride
10. Things Change
11. Playtime

To hear samples of each song on this CD go to Walter Beasley CD – For Her [ www.smoothlee.com/music-samples/walter-beasley-for-her.htm

Clyde Lee Dennis, a.k.a. SmoothLee has been bumping around on the web since 1999 and is a self described Web Head, and Life long AVID music fan. Smooth Jazz Music in particular. In addition to writing CD Reviews for I Love Smooth Jazz.com he is also the Program Director, and can be heard during his daily radio show which airs on one of the internets most listened to smooth jazz radio stations, Smooth Jazz 24/7