Chris Botti in Boston features trumpeter
Chris Botti along with a bevy of name artists performing live with the
Boston Pops Orchestra at
Symphony Hall in 2008. Fully documented as a concert film and album, the night is an intimate and soulful birds-eye view of the supple-toned trumpeter who has grown into his role as a virtuoso since his time backing up
Sting -- who of course appears here. Perhaps it isn't surprising then the concert is subtly reminiscent of
Sting's own classic coming of age concert moment
Bring on the Night. If
Sting's 1986 show was an attempt to reintroduce himself to the world as a pop-cum-jazz artist, then
Botti's 2008 show is clearly a showcase for the one-time smooth jazz wunderkind to fully represent himself as the eye of his own crossover storm. Having never fully embraced the synthetic vibe of the smooth jazz sound,
Botti has spent his time since 2004's massively popular
When I Fall in Love creating his own organic, acoustic and "straight-ahead" crossover jazz. In the context of contemporary smooth jazz,
Botti's retro-gesture is actually kind of innovative. Clearly owing a heavy debt to legendary trumpeter
Miles Davis,
Botti not only surrounds himself with the elegant, live
Boston Pops Orchestra, but has hired some of the most heavy-hitting rhythm section players on the scene with drummer
Billy Kilson, bassist
Robert Hurst, pianist
Billy Childs, guitarist
Mark Whitfield, and others. The result clearly pulls much inspiration from
Davis' work with
Gil Evans -- he even plays
"Flamenco Sketches" -- but never seems to belabor the comparison. Similarly,
Botti's choice of guest artists including vocalist
Josh Groban, violinist
Lucia Micarelli, and even rocker
Steven Tyler always appears genuinely considered based on
Botti's own musical taste. And although pairing the elegant cellist
Yo-Yo Ma with
Botti is somewhat of a no-brainer, their work together here, much like the entire concert itself, is never less than breathtaking. ~ Matt Collar
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