Customer Reviews

Chris Botti - Live - With Orchestra & Special Guests

5 star:		(73)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

After this magic night in L.A. with an all-star cast of guest vocalists, Chris Botti took the show on the road -- minus the great singers -- and on five consecutive nights stopped in as many Canadian cities, including this one. The all-instrumental show was, to my memory, even better (than this original show) because of the extended solos by Chris himself and his brilliant, accompanying musicians.

Botti told his Winnipeg audience that, when he toured with Sting, he was urged to "find yourself the best drummer in the world - and make him the heart of your band."

"So I Googled," he said, "for 'The baddest- *ss drummer in the world,' and up came the name Billy Kilson." Then Botti told us: "What you are about to see, you will not believe." He wasn't exaggerating. The drum solo (I forget the tune -- doesn't matter) was beyond any musical experience I've witnessed since Oscar Peterson last performed here 20 years ago.

I turned to the person next to me and said, "This is like watching a god." At one point Billy Kilson was performing with just one hand, multiple rhythms, with alternating shadings so subtle it sounded like he was using brushes, not sticks.

The entire band stood out in the front lobby of our "Burton Cummings Theatre" and signed autographs until every last patron had gone out into that good night. I wanted to talk to other members of this all star band, comprised of Grammy-winners, including pianist Billy Childs and guitarist Mark Whitfield. Instead, I went straight for Bill Kilson.

"Who are your heroes?" Billy thought about it a minute, (he has a modest, gentle demeanor) and said, "My teacher" (a lesser-known jazz drummer - but an influential artist whose name I can't recall six months later). When he'd mentioned just that one name, I asked: "Anyone else?"

"Max Roach," he said.

The solo Kilson performs on this DVD is impressive enough; but after seeing him 'in person' on a more extended solo, I would urge jazz fans to find a way to see Billy Kilson "live and in person," -- and be prepared to re-arrange your personal pantheon of greatest-ever drummers! Good to see that the Amazon.com editorial review (above) mentions his name and the word "remarkable" in the same sentence!

The "bonus track" on this DVD concert, also happened to be Chris Botti's lone 'encore' here in Winnipeg -- a gorgeous rendition of the Arlen/Mercer classic written for Frank Sinatra. The trumpeter told us: "I worked with Sinatra for two weeks at the start of my career -- when I was fresh out of college!" It was, he said, "the greatest musical experience of my life"

For the Winnipeg audience that gave him a standing ovation, his performance of "One for My Baby" -- ALONE -- was worth the price of admission!

I always make fun of my friends who think their hip because they listen to smooth jazz. They drop names like Rick Braun, Kenny G and Norman Brown in the same sentences as Coltrane, Miles, Coleman and Ellington like there's no difference. Don't get me wrong- I like smooth jazz too- for what it is and what it isn't. That being said, I just watched the Chris Botti special on PBS during pledge and I am impressed with Chris Botti. Yeah, I knew he did the regular smooth jazz stuff. But he can actually play.This DVD chronicles an evening with the London Orchestra. He and his guest show remarkable range as they explore jazz standards and a couple of pop songs. I especially enjoyed Good Morning Heartache with Jill Scott and Pennies from Heaven with Renee Olstead (who the heck is that... trust me she can "SANG" !!!). I listened to ths using my Harmon Kardon's Hall setting and it sounded pretty good but no cigar. I can't wait to watch this with the 5.1 mix on the DVD.
All in all this is a nice DVD to have that showcases a smooth jazz stallworth bluring the lines to straight ahead jazz. I will certainily add this to my collection.

I happened to catch most of this special on PBS the other night. What a lovely concert! Not at all boring. The chemistry between Chris and his guests is so apparent during their duets. You can totally feel that Chris' trumpet is an extension of him; it's his voice and, coupled with a talented singer, is truly a treat for the eyes and ears. I was a little disappointed with Paula Cole's rendition of The Look of Love; she sounded kind of like she was sick and was a little off-key. Other than that, she has a beautiful voice. But the best performance that I saw, the one that brought me to my feet, was JILL SCOTT. I have no words for how stunning her performance was. It was not a sad, slow song but it brought tears to my eyes because she was so phenomenal. She brought down the house! Sting was so-so and Paul Buchanan was so-so. I am sorry that I missed Gladys Knight. Renee Olstead has an incredible voice (esp. for someone so young) but the song she sang did not do her much justice. All in all, the concert was great- I wish I had been there. I can not wait for the DVD to come out!

This is a great performance by Botti, but the Blu-ray version is NOT hi-def video. It is clearly 480i upsampled to 1080i, and mastered poorly at that.

I own both the DVD/CD combo pack and Blu-ray versions. Using an Oppo BDP-83SE and Pioneer 101FD, the DVD version upsamples much cleaner to 1080p. The Blu-ray version is soft and has many artifacts (halos, lacks detail, ringing, etc...). The audio is 96/24, but sounds no better than the DVD version. The packaging says "High Definition video and audio" but no mention of "1080".

Branko Vekic was mistaken in his review, this is not the Botti reference Blu-ray. Botti in Boston is the reference version and really shows what Blu-ray can do. It is 1080i/24fps with Dolby TrueHD....a must have to show off your system.

If you'd like to purchase this performance, your best bet is to get the DVD/CD combo version on sale.

I, too, was at the Friday night concert. I took a very special lady friend to see this show as it was her birthday that day as well. To say that we both came away from that evening impressed would be a gross understatement!! It was, without a doubt, THE best concert I have seen in years. Chris was noticeably shaky in front of the camera, but, when he played it was pure perfection!! Backed by the London Session Orchestra, his own band which includes Billy Kilson on drums and Billy Childs on piano (both awesome musicians), and a host of celebrities from Sting to Burt Bacarach that appeared on his new CD "To Love Again", Chris had the Wilshire Theatre rockin'!! Chris' horn playing and the whole evening was a standout performance and I am so glad that the DVD is finally available (I ordered three tonight) and I hope this DVD does the concert justice. I will watch the PBS special (enduring all the pledge breaks I am sure) this Friday night here in L.A., but I can't wait to fire this up at home and relive every sweet second of that night, it was truly an night to remember and it will never be forgotten. Oh yeah, my lady friend thought it was the best birthday present ever !!

Too often, there are great concerts that get missed, because of a limited crowd or engagement. This is not one of them. My wife and I attended this concert, and lived through the flaws that were edited out. Nothing wrong with the performances, all the issues were accoustic or technical in nature.

What you see here in the edited version is easily the best of the best... I saw this on HD TV several months ago, and have a copy saved. I am looking forward to replacing it with a DVD with behind the scenes footage.

THIS IS A GREAT CONCERT, that deserves special recognition. A must for any Jazz collection! The incredible warmth of the performances is perfectly documented, and seem to come alive in your living/media room. Don't miss it!

I was at this concert the first night. The PBS special doesn't even come close to how great the concert was, they had to spend too much time promoting pledging to PBS (a necessary evil). I anxiously await receiving this DVD to relive this excellent concert.

"When I was growing up learning how to play the trumpet, not in a million years did I ever think that tonight will be possible. For an instrumentalist to have his own special, to be onstage with an incredible orchestra, a beautiful hall, and most of all to share the stage with perhaps some of the most distinctive voices in any kind of music - Sting, Gladys Knight, Jill Scott, Paula Cole, Paul Buchanan, Rene Olstead and Burt Bacharach. Everyone's here to join me onstage for this event, which I think is the greatest musical night of my life." ~ Chris Botti ~

Flashback: December 2, 2005 at the Wilshire Theatre was to me a fabulous night to remember. And that memorable event is eternalized in this DVD. How great it was to be at that concert - the dreamiest of concerts, and it was so fulfilling to be able to watch Chris Botti perform live in concert with his very special guests - Sting, Gladys Knight, Paula Cole, Paul Buchanan, Jill Scott, Rene Olstead and of course, Burt Bacharach. He acknowledged the presence of David Foster and Jeremy Lubbock from among the audience. My only regret is that I wasn't able to meet the trumpeter-extraordinaire and let him sign my CD booklets as my friend was rushing to leave right after the concert.

Not only Chris Botti does his craft in a creatively exceptional manner but also has a very excellent showmanship. All throughout the concert, he showed a terrific stage presence. All the performances are backed by a full orchestra conducted by Gil Goldstein, and Mr. Botti's awesome band members - Billy Childs (piano), James Genus (bass), Mark Whitfield (guitar), and Billy Kilson (drums). In "Why Not" Billy Kilson showed off his artistry in drums. Chris Botti believes that the "foundation of any music really comes from drums." And he quips, "I may not be Sting, but I have Billy Kilson in my band."

Who wouldn't be mesmerized with his hauntingly beautiful solo performances that show off his exquisite trumpet playing? And these beguiling tunes are "When I Fall In Love," "Someone To Watch Over Me, "Cinema Paradiso," "One For My Baby" and "A Thousand Kisses Deep."

One of the show's glorious moments is the special appearance of a living legend, Burt Bacharach, on one of the most stunning performances, well-applauded, a standing ovation and his own composition, "The Look of Love," which showcase his piano skills and Paula Cole's great vocal style. And Chris Botti has the most wonderful praises about the great composer and I quote: "Burt has not only written so many incredible songs but musicians love him. He is loved by the public and musicians. When you can capture the elements of both things - to be loved by the public and to be loved by musicians, you probably are in a crew of three to four people."

Sting adds glitter to the show with his performances on "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?" and "My Funny Valentine," which elicited laughter from the audience whenever his look was directed to Chris as he sings ... "Your looks are laughable, unphotographable" and "Is your figure less than Greek? Is your mouth a little weak?" After the song, Chris Botti acknowledged and gave credit to Sting saying that if it were not for him, he wouldn't be standing onstage that night. It was Sting who asked him to join his band in Spring of 1999, and he thanked him and his wife, Trudy, as well. Yes, she's the lady from the audience being serenaded by Chris Botti on the intro of "My Funny Valentine."

Gladys Knight's dazzling performance on "Lover Man" received an enthusiastic response from the audience. There was a prolonged standing ovation. The lady who was seated next to me at the concert said that she was there mainly for Gladys Knight. Rene Olstead gives "Pennies From Heaven" a fresh interpretation that is so stylishly jazzy. Jill Scott's delivers "Good Morning Heartache" with creativity and elegance. Paul Buchanan's heartfelt and emotional performance on "Are You Lonesome Tonight" is so moving. And a show-stopper, Paula Cole's "My One And Only Love."

I truly enjoy watching this DVD as much as I've enjoyed the live concert a year ago. It's one gem of a DVD. It's a collector's item and one of my most precious collections of recorded live concerts ever. It also features clips from recording sessions, interviews with Chris Botti and his musicians, Sting, and some of his guest artists plus a special performance of "Message In A Bottle" by Sting.

Wholeheartedly recommended for your viewing pleasure. It's truly a dream concert.

Chris' own performances are top-notch, his guest musicians (such as Gladys Knight) are a knock-out, and the video and audio quality of this Blu-ray disc are stunning. The 24-bit PCM 5.1 audio track is absolutely reference-quality in every regard. Demo-material at its best, especially given the fantastic performance material.

Two words to describe Chris Botti's latest release: ear candy. Or maybe auditory bliss would be a more accurate description? Either way, you get my point - I love this DVD. There are no gimmicks here - this is a beautiful, slickly produced concert that first and foremost showcases Botti's virtuosic trumpet playing (which is heavenly!). Most of the musical selections are culled from his latest studio album, the duets-heavy disc To Love Again (read my review of that album on Amazon). The duets are truly duets in every sense of the word - Botti's playing partners with each vocalist perfectly, and the two work to compliment each other, resulting in first-class performances. My favorite duets performances are Paul Cole singing "My One and Only Love," Renee Olstead singing "Pennies from Heaven" (amazing vocalist!), and Gladys Knight singing "Lover Man" (a fantastic performance, very classy). The weakest vocal is Jill Scott's on "Good Morning Heartache" - I love the studio version, but her vocal improvisation here is somewhat jarring, to say the least - but the song is still a great vehicle for Botti's playing and I love the lyric. Sting also appears for two songs - "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" and "My Funny Valentine" (it's a nice touch when Botti serenades Sting's wife sitting in the audience during the latter number). The program also features some swoon-worthy solos from Botti, especially "Someone to Watch Over Me," "When I Fall In Love," and "One For My Baby." His improvisation on these tracks is absolutely stunning, and the songs provide the perfect showcase for Botti's tremendous talent. The arrangements for all of the tracks sparkle, and it's fun to see and hear Botti and the band cut loose and have some fun with the music. This DVD comes packaged with a bonus CD featuring all the songs from the concert. This is an excellent live recording and a great document of Botti's skill with the trumpet. Now...not to sound (too) impatient or anything, but I am so ready for a new studio album!