First Wish

这张无以伦比的专辑让听众们感受到了融合爵士（jazz fusion)的希望。对bebop爵士十分挑剔的内行听众们还没有对它表示任何的不满。这是因为它具有好爵士专辑最难得的一些品质：它在不打破其流派规矩的同时又为听众们提供了丰富的听觉享受。波提的创作手法十分抒情，然而又不让人感到过于紧凑。他吹奏得暧昧不明，带着暖色调的曲子分外引人遐思。所有的乐曲都被湮没在幽静的浪漫气息里，波提在这种宜人的气氛下把握住了适当的力度，没有过度放纵情感，丝毫不矫揉造作。 by Rick Anderson There may be hope for jazz fusion after all. If there were no other evidence, trumpeter Chris Botti's terrific album would be enough to give hope to even the most jaded bebop snob. This is that rarest of things: a completely unchallenging record that is also richly rewarding. Botti's approach is lyrical but spare; the production is dark, warm, and rich. A sense of deep and quiet romanticism pervades everything, and while Botti never really lets loose and wails, he manages to make his chops obvious on tunes like "Cubism" and the funky "On the Night Ride." Most of the songs are powered by a gentle funk groove, and one even features a vocal cameo by Gen-X poster girl Edie Brickell. Jazz snobs will get sucked into this delicious music despite themselves; fans of Kenny G and Najee will think it's "real" jazz and consider themselves sophisticated for liking it so much. The bottom line is that there's no reason to do anything but abandon yourself to this album.