Chris Botti - Live With Orchestra And Special Guests

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:40
Size: 175,9 MB
Art: Front + Back

(4:14)  1. Someone To Watch Over Me
(7:33)  2. When I Fall In Love
(5:03)  3. A Thousand Kisses Deep
(5:45)  4. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life (Feat. Sting)
(5:31)  5. Good Morning Heartache ( Feat. Jill Scott)
(4:02)  6. My One And Only Love ( Feat.  Paula Cole)
(5:17)  7. The Look Of Love ( Feat.  Paula Cole)
(5:01)  8. Cinema Paradiso
(3:30)  9. Pennies From Heaven ( Feat. Renee Olstead)
(4:08) 10. Are You Lonesome Tonight ( Feat. Paul Buchanan)
(5:31) 11. Lover Man ( Feat. Gladys Knight)
(6:20) 12. My Funny Valentine ( Feat. Sting)
(9:49) 13. Why Not
(4:49) 14. One For My Baby

Love it or hate it, the "Smooth Jazz" phenomenon has all but taken over the genre, at least in terms of mainstream appeal. Chris Botti, Kenny G., Dave Koz, Najee  if you've never heard one of these instrumentalists interpret the classics with their New Age-y musical stylings, then somehow you've managed to avoid riding in an elevator over the last decade or so. Combined, they're a commercial force to be reckoned with, having sold a gazillion CDs, and commanding what seems to be the musical entirety of the far corners of the radio dial. But whether you consider their work a fresh take on a commercially impoverished musical genre or a cynical repackaging for the Oprah Book Club set, one thing's for sure: all those "Best of Smooth Jazz" CD collections on the racks of your local Starbucks are here to stay.

Truth be told, it's probably unfair to lump Botti in with such critically-despised contemporaries as Kenny G. and (heaven help us) John Tesh. He may be a bit bland for younger audiences, but his reverence for the material and love of his instrument is obvious, while his Sinatra-esque wit and rakish good looks seem to reduce normally-composed soccer moms into swooning, giggling schoolgirls.

In 'Chris Botti Live with Orchestra and Special Guests,' Botti doesn't mess with his formula for success. Originally broadcast in PBS this past March, this show is never anything less than a classy, black-tie affair  not just in terms of sartorial splendor, but musically as well. While Botti certainly doesn't take any risks with his chosen catalog of fail-safe classics  "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Pennies From Heaven," "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", "My Funny Valentine"  he also never fails to deliver anything but flawless, gorgeous renditions. Simply put, his musicianship is breathtaking in its purity and cleanliness. As a filmed event, 'Chris Botti Live' is no less straightforward an affair. It may lack the narrative interludes and creative staging of a 'Tony Bennett: An American Classic' (another flamboyant, flashy television extravaganza that recently hit Blu-ray), but Botti is not unaware of his rather static stage presence, and wisely calls upon an impressive range of special guests to keep tedium at bay. Sting shows up to offer polite accompaniment on two numbers, including a humorous take on "My Funny Valentine," while the unlikely pairing of Burt Bacharach and Paula Cole surprise with inspired interpretations of "The Look of Love" and "My One and Only Love."

But easily stealing the show are Jill Scott and Gladys Knight, who both bring a fire lacking in the rest of the show by infusing their respective numbers "Good Morning Heartache" and "Lover Man" with some welcome diva posturing.  http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/837/chrisbottilivewithorchestra.html

Live With Orchestra And Special Guests

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