Trumpeter {$Chris Botti}'s {^To Love Again: The Duets} picks up where his stellar 2004 release {^When I Fall in Love} leaves off, with more gorgeously lush and heartfelt orchestral {\jazz} via {$the London Session Orchestra}. This time showcasing guest vocalists -- as well as a handful of instrumental tracks -- {$Botti} takes an even more classicist approach than before and once again brings to mind such iconic {\jazz} albums as {^Clifford Brown with Strings} and {$Miles Davis}' {^Porgy and Bess}. Largely known as a {\smooth jazz} artist with a sweet trumpet tone, it wasn't until {^When I Fall in Love} that {$Botti} dropped the {\smooth jazz} synthesizers and pop-oriented compositions in favor of {$Gil Evans}-style {\jazz} orchestrations and an acoustic backing quartet. Subsequently, {$Botti} made the best album of his career and didn't sacrifice any of his own laid-back {\smooth jazz} style. In fact, having long been compared to trumpeters {$Chet Baker} and {$Miles Davis} for both his minimalist improvisational style and matinee idol image, this move toward more straight-ahead {\jazz} is actually a better fit. {^To Love Again} does nothing if not reinforce this opinion and finds {$Botti} seeming even more relaxed and in his element. This is no more true than on the romantically melancholy lead-off track {&"Embraceable You,"} which finds {$Botti}'s horn weeping and sighing over the {$George Gershwin} standard. The same can be said of his work with {$Sting} on the '60s classic {&"What Are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life."} In fact, with such a phenomenal cadre of singers -- including {$Michael Bublé}, {$Paula Cole}, {$Gladys Knight} and others performing such standards as {&"Let There Be Love"} and {&"Lover Man"} -- there really isn't a bad track. Part of the brilliance of the album is that, while it is classicist in tone, many of the vocalists come from the pop world and give the songs a contemporary spin that rubs nicely against {$Gil Goldstein} and {$Jeremy Lubbock}'s stylishly old-school arrangements. It also doesn't hurt that {$Botti} is working with such phenomenal {\jazz} talents as pianist {$Billy Childs}, bassists {$Robert Hurst} and {$Christian McBride}, drummer {$Billy Kilson}, guitarist {$Anthony Wilson} and others. That alone makes the few instrumental tracks on {^To Love Again} some of the standout moments on an album as much about vocals as it is about {$Botti}'s own creative "voice." [The Dual Disc version of {^To Love Again: The Duets} includes an added DVD featuring the entire album in enhanced stereo and video footage of four live performances by {$Botti}.] ~ Matt Collar, All Music Guide