Chris Botti gets swept up with Earth, Wind & Fire
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Funk legends Earth, Wind & Fire have laid out plans for a summer tour behind their latest album, last year's "Illumination," and will bring along jazz trumpeter Chris Botti to open the shows.
The tour gets underway with a July 18 show in Boston, and stops in about 20 cities are scattered into early September. Botti will also tackle a number of his own headlining dates during his off days from the EWF tour, and is scheduled to remain on the road by himself through at least mid-October. The itineraries for both tours are included below.
Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Earth, Wind & Fire offered up "Illumination" last September. The disc, which follows 2003's "The Promise," features a list of guest performers that includes Outkast's Big Boi and The Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am. Super-producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis also had a hand in some of the set, which debuted at No. 32 on The Billboard 200 album chart, marking the highest debut position in the group's history.
Core EWF members Maurice White (founder, co-producer)--who no longer tours with the band--his brother Verdine White (bass), Ralph Johnson (percussion) and Philip Bailey (vocals) recorded the album backed by additional musicians.
Botti's new album, "To Love Again," landed in stores last October. The set features vocals from Sting, Paula Cole, Michael Buble, Jill Scott, Paul Buchanan, Gladys Knight, Renee Olstead, Rosa Passos and Steven Tyler.
The London Session Orchestra backs Botti on the disc, which also features four instrumental cuts.
Columbia issued "To Love Again" in regular audio-CD format, as well as in DualDisc format. The latter features footage shot during the making of the album, as well as interviews, studio performances and more, according to the label.
Earth Wind & Fire w/ Chris Botti
July 2006
18 - Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion
20 - Wantagh, NY - Jones Beach
21 - Holmdel, NJ - P.N.C. Bank Arts Center
24 - Saratoga Springs, NY - SPAC
August 2006
1 - Cleveland, OH - Tower City Amphitheater
2 - Columbus, OH - Germain Amphitheater
6 - Wallingford, CT - Chevrolet Theatre
9 - Chicago, IL - Charter One Pavilion
12 - Dallas, TX - Smirnoff Music Centre
13 - Selma, TX - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
18 - Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
22 - San Diego, CA - Bayside
23 - Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl
24 - Concord, CA - Sleep Train Pavilion @ Concord
26 - Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Pavilion
28 - Denver, CO - City Lights Pavilion
September 2006
1 - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater Charlotte
3 - Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre @ State Fairgrounds
4 - West Palm Beach, FL - Sound Advice Amphitheatre
Chris Botti
July 2006
8 - Montreal, Quebec - Montreal Jazz Festival
22 - San Francisco, CA - Davies Symphony Hall (w/ San Francisco Symphony)
23 - Bethel, NY - Bethel Woods
30 - Rochester Hills, MI - MeadowBrook Music Festival
August 2006
4 - Gresham, OR - Mt. Hood Jazz Festival
8 - Bethlehem, PA - Muzikfest
10 - Kettering, OH - Fraze Pavilion
11 - Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheatre
19 - Canandaigua, NY - MAC Performing Arts Center
20 - Temecula, CA - Thornton Winery
21 - Jacksonville, OR - Britt Festival (w/ symphony)
25 - Deer Valley, UT - Deer Valley Resort (Park City Jazz Festival)
29 - Denver, CO - Botanic Gardens
September 2006
6 - Vienna, VA - Filene Center
8 - Staten Island, NY - St. George Theatre
16 - Henderson, NV - Lake Las Vegas Resort
17 - Monterey, CA - Monterey Jazz Festival
29 - Saratoga, CA - Via Montalvo
30 - Kalamazoo, MI - Miller Auditorium
October 2006
1 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Chan Centre
2 - Edmonton, Alberta - Winspear Centre
3 - Calgary, Alberta - Knox United Church
4 - Winnipeg, Manitoba - Burton Cummings Theater
5 - Ottawa, Ontario - Centrepointe Theatre
6 - Toronto, Ontario - Danforth Music Hall
8 - East Lansing, MI - Wharton Center
12 - Rehoboth Beach, DE - Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival
13 - Newark, NJ - NJPAC
December 2006
19-24 - New York, NY - Blue Note
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