Playing by Heart (1998 Film) [Soundtrack]

John Barry, Chris Botti, Chet Baker

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 25, 2000)
• Original Release Date: January 25, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B0000256HQ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #113,965 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

In a 1996 review of the indie film Caught, movie critic Rex Reed paid the ultimate compliment to trumpeter Chris Botti, (who wrote the score and whose horn graced the soundtrack), comparing the young upstart's smoky style to that of a young Chet Baker. Botti has since gone on to great success in smooth jazz by combining a laid-back demeanor with attitude-filled grooves and picture-perfect melodies. Enter legendary composer John Barry--whose resume runs from Born Free to Dances with Wolves and, more jazzily, Body Heat. He loved director Willard Carroll's idea of lacing the soundtrack to Playing by Heart with a handful of 1956 Baker-quartet originals. Botti was an obvious choice when Barry chose to extend that vibe into the orchestral score, and the haunting album cover--featuring a pensive Barry between Botti and a young Baker, both holding their horns, over a black background--perfectly epitomizes the passing of the generational torch. The opening tune, "Remembering Chet," captures the essence of the whole album; Botti's balmy trumpet wafts over Lee Musiker's elegant piano meditation as the orchestra breezes in and out of the background. There's not a whole lot of rhythmic variation as the tracks progress, but Barry wisely mixes in a few other colorful elements throughout, most notably Daniel Higgins' romantic alto (trading riffs with Botti on the title theme) and Tommy Morgan's lonesome harmonica on "A Place Inside Alive and Well." The classic smooth, delicately bittersweet tones of Baker (on "Tenderly," "You Go to My Head" and "These Foolish Things" are interspersed between the Botti tunes, creating a contrast between the two horns. Arranged this way, it's almost like listening to a one-of-a-kind lesson between a legendary mentor and a student primed to carry on his legacy. -- Jonathan Widran

Product Description

No Description Available.
Genre: Soundtracks & Scores
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 25-JAN-2000

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars music to dream by......, February 8, 2000

By	richard scafonas "Scaf" (Macungie,PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Well, Chris Botti has done it again. He has created trumpet music that is relaxing,suggestive,and warm. This is a must CD for any jazz fan. In fact,this is a great CD to introduce a friend to the wonderful world of jazz.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beauty, Romance, Botti, Baker...., July 10, 2000

By	Aphrodite 9 (UK) - See all my reviews

"Playing by Heart" never fails to induce a depth of emotion in the listener from its yearning, twilight-evening feel; watching the ripples on a pond in the night time, dreaming of past and future moments with the cherished one that we hold in our heart.

A dear friend introduced me to Chris Botti, but he warned me not to listen to too much all at once for fear of an overwhelming melancholy that would surely befall me. Whether melancholy is the right word, I'm not sure - it's perhaps the sweetness of a lingering memory, the dreamlike quality of Botti, Baker et al that makes an impression. To coin an overused phrase, it is a hauntingly beautiful collection of pieces that soar somewhere between the unspoken mystery of the heart and the ethereal no-mans-land between body and spirit. Listeners beware its overt romantic influence.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely stunning, January 28, 2003

By A Customer

John Barry just seems to get better and better. This music deserves to be included among his best. Chris Botti's trumpet playing only adds to the haunting beauty and brilliance of this very special music. I thank John Barry, Chris Botti and Chet Baker for their wonderful talents.