An Evening With Jazz Trumpeter Chris Botti Live In Concert at The Canberra Theatre

American trumpeter and composer Chris Botti is returning to Australia for the sixth time in eight years and says that unlike most musicians, "I'm never off tour.

"I spent 365 days of the year of the last 15 years touring - it's neverending."

Not that he's complaining. Australia, he says, is "fun for us - we love going there".

The response has always been enthusiastic, accounting for its frequent appearances on the Botti itinerary despite the long distance.

He's also found time to record several albums over the years, resulting in Gold, Platinum and Grammy Award-winning CDs with sales of more than four million units. While he's known as a jazz musician, his CD Impressions won the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album at the 2013 Grammy Awards, indicative of his genre-spanning ability and appeal.

But this versatility is no gimmick: the 55-year-old musician has, over a career spanning three decades, recorded and performed with a wide range of top musicians in a range of genres including Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon, Sting, Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Joshua Bell and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler.

Botti says it's hard for him to say what he'll be playing in Australia since he and his musicians have an extensive repertoire and the set list varies from show to show - jazz, of course, is the core but he's unashamedly also a crossover musician bringing elements of pop, prog rock, and even classical into the mix with his band.

Botti isn't snobbish about jazz and, regarding people who regard themselves as purists and turn their noses up at the thought of crossover music, simply says, "They probably shouldn't come to the show."

Many others do around the world, he points out, regardless of what the sound or genre might be: "Audiences keep growing."

And why does he think that is?

"I'm an artist who can tour everywhere in the world and bring a show that focuses on great musicianship," he says without any false modesty.

"People can come and have a great time, they come and see the show and see extraordinary musicianship."

A Botti concert is not just about recreating his records, which he counts as a good thing.

"It's a more visceral experience for everyone to have," he says - as well as a less predictable one than many rock groups' concerts, which he thinks too often consist of simply touring their latest album or performing their greatest hits. Botti seems to like the element of spontaneity in performing and given how much he tours, it's hard to blame him. Given he has an extensive repertoire - illustrated by the fact he's recorded more than a dozen albums featuring many of his original compositions as well as numerous treatments of standards and pop tunes - he certainly has plenty of material from which to make his selections.

Botti says his inspiration and biggest influence as a jazz musician is Miles Davis, especially in the period from about 1959 to 1966, when the legendary African-American trumpeter was making such popular and influential albums as Kind of Blue (1959) and Sketches of Spain (1960) - "crazy stuff".

He's more circumspect about which present-day musicians' sounds and styles he likes and doesn't like, - "I'm not going to say; I want to have some friends" - though he does reveal he doesn't enjoy it when "the music is more about the beat ...you lose the ability of the person".

On the rare occasions he isn't on tour, Botti stays in New York, though he says he has no official residence, nor a wife or children - and with him being on the road so much,he says, it's better that things worked out that way.

As for retirement from performing, Botti says while that may happen "eventually" and he might move into a related area such as mentoring younger musicians, he has no plans to do so yet.

"I'll keep going as long as my health persists," he says.

If his youthful looks are any indication of his health and given his dedication to a very busy schedule, it would seem as though Chris Botti will be living that touring lifestyle for quite some years to come.