For Botti it is more than music: It's the show

Trumpeter Chris Botti is unquestionably a superstar in the jazz world. He has won Grammys, most recently for Best Pop Instrumental for “Impressions.” He has played gigs all over the world in all kinds of venues.

Can you name his biggest hit?

“I can sell concert tickets all over, but there isn’t a song that defines me,” said Botti who will perform Sunday at Thornton Winery in Temecula. “People know they are going to hear the trumpet and I hope they are on a musical joy ride. They are going for the experience rather than what specific song I play, and that has kept me afloat.”

Credit his success to his ability to not only play extremely well but his incredible ability to entertain, something he has picked up over the years from self-experience.

“I go to jazz concerts and I hear the same texture all the time,” he said. “In traditional jazz, the trumpet and sax play melody and they solo over each other for a lot of the song. After 10-20 minutes of the same thing, my ear loses the ability to stay connected and I start yearning for some other texture.”

As a result, there is always a lot of variety at Botti’s shows. At Thornton Winery, he will have Geoffrey Keezer. Fan favorite Caroline Campbell, singers George Komsky and Sy Smith.

“I do the breakup thing by not having the listener have to hear the trumpet all night long,” he said. “If you looked at a Miles Davis record, only 25 percent of the time is he even playing. The rest of the time it is [John] Coltrane or [Cannonball] Adderley. I spend my money on having better musicians and keeping them so we grow together.”

Now that his last album was a tremendous success and an award-winning collection, Botti knows that there will be something coming but he’s not sure yet what it is.

“I really don’t know what I am going to do,” he said. “I sit here and think maybe another TV special, or something stripped down. We have a hard-core touring schedule through next April.”

The big question is what kind of record because Botti certainly can cross a great number of musical genres.

“I’ve always been the artist who wants to make a whole album that people can get into,” he said. “My stuff is for people to have on at their house and just drifting around in the atmosphere.”

Then again, maybe there will not be a wide variety on a new record.

“I may just do a straight jazz record,” he said. “In the beginning I made albums to try to get an audience and feel comfortable on the road.”

Of course, there are always thoughts about how long he can do this.

“I am grateful for the ability to play now and very pleased with that and all the energy I spend working on the horn, but the trumpet is a tough physical instruments and I have no thoughts that I will be playing it when I am 84.”

Maybe he could add something to his act, such as becoming a singer.

“When you work with the best singers as I have it is hard to sing,” he said. “And playing the trumpet is like playing the violin or doing ballet. You have to put all your energy into that.”

And forget the idea of Botti being a dancer.

“I have no rhythm,” he laughed. “You don’t want to see me dance!”

But without a doubt, people want to see him play the trumpet and entertain.

“At the end of the day, there is something powerful and long lasting about someone who learns how to work it onstage and give everything to that,” he said. “I am fortunate that so many people want to hear me play and I want to give them a real entertaining show with a variety of styles and excellent performances.”