Second Cup Cafe: Chris Botti

Jazz trumpeter Chris Botti and his band return to The Saturday Early Show's "Second Cup Cafe" to perform his songs "First Noel" and "Cinema Paradiso."

In October, Botti re-released his 2002 album "December." There are two new tracks on the set, including one featuring singer Eric Benet.

Botti won his first Grammy in February for best instrumental arrangement accompanying a vocalist on the track "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?" featuring Sting.

The trumpter is nominated in the same category this year, for the track "Good Morning Heartache" with Jill Scott. Both songs are from his 2005 album "To Love Again — The Duets."

The 49th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony will be broadcast Feb. 11 on CBS.

Of his musical style, Botti has said, "It's about the sound of my trumpet and the melody I play."

Botti started playing the trumpet early on, but is very outspoken against marching bands. "I graduated school a year early so I could get out of marching band," he says. "The marching band is there to support sporting events; it's rarely about the music."

But being part of the band paid off. The band director turned him on to Miles Davis when Botti was 12, and Botti has idolized Davis ever since.

Still, the thrill of his lifetime came when he played for Frank Sinatra during the 1985 tour. "It was his big comeback tour and he was singing beautifully at that time," recalls Botti, who was then 21.

In May 2004, Botti was named one of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" and for that, the artist says, he gets teased relentlessly.

"It's so difficult in this day and age for instrumental artists to punch through into the mainstream," he says, turning serious, "so anything that helps is a good thing."

Botti will be on tour throughout the U.S. during January and early February.

Tour dates and more details about Botti may be obtained at his Web site.