Three of the biggest instrumental pop hits ever recorded were by trumpeters Hugh Masekela, Herb Alpert and Chuck Mangione. Night Sessions, Botti's fourth album, comes equipped with more than enough catchy and light melodies to compete with that legacy, but it will probably be "All Would Envy", one of the two vocal tunes, that will help this disc dent radio and sales charts. It's a song given an irresistible Brazilian lilt by its composer and Botti's regular employer, Sting, and sung hauntingly by Shawn Colvin. Like Masakela, Alpert and Mangione, Botti does put an emphasis on rhythm on upbeat groove tunes like "Miami Overnight", "Streets Ahead" and especially on "Blue Horizon" which has more than a hint of European drum & bass sound and features killer keyboard work by Billy Childs and album producer Kipper. But it's the Alpert-influenced "Through an Open Window" with its rock guitars and slick melody line that many may consider the hottest track. Most of the other tracks consist of Botti's crisp clear tone cutting through the kind of atmospheric, heavily padded keyboard music that has got him on to smooth jazz radio and Hollywood soundtracks. --Mark Ruffin