Chris Botti: Live with Orchestra & Special Guests Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.5

Chris Botti: Live with Orchestra & Special Guests Blu-ray Movie Review

A great concert is now one of Blu-ray's crowning jewels.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 10, 2008

The greatest musical night of my life.

I'm "that guy" that just doesn't keep up with the popular music scene. Much to my wife's chagrin, I'd rather listen to talk radio instead of music on long car trips. I like music, but with a full load of Blu-ray discs to watch and review, reading books, and playing with our cats, I just don't find myself turning on the radio or digging through iTunes for the latest music. As I age, I've found that the type of music I do enjoy when I find the radio on or hear music in a movie is rapidly changing. I find myself drawn more and more to classical and instrumental music over the top 40 type popular music, and as such, I was intrigued by this disc I received featuring trumpet player Chris Botti. I'll admit to never having heard of him before, but after screening this disc, his will not be a name I soon forget.

The smooth sound of Chris Botti's trumpet wins over another fan.

World-renowned trumpeter Chris Botti's show from the Wilshire Theater in Los Angeles, California, in December 2005, is the source material for this Blu-ray, and the producers of this disc could not have chosen a better venue, a better performer, or a better performance. Chris Botti's "big break" came in 2000 when he joined English rocker Sting's band. Sting, like Botti, comes across as a genuine musician, in it for the music and the people as much as for himself and the fame and wealth that come with the territory. He's pleased to have seen Botti break out to become a mega star with the knowledge that appearing in his band paved the way for a new star to be born. Chris Botti's style is one of self- confidence in his abilities combined with a slightly reserved and humble demeanor. He's not afraid to perform in front of thousands or play with some of the best musicians the world over, but the sensible and friendly way he carries himself both on stage and behind-the-scenes, not to mention his true passion for music and desire to see children learn to appreciate a more classical and refined style such as his, make him a respectable role model for young and old, budding musician or casual music fan, alike.

This particular performance is a collaborative effort with some of the great musicians of the past few generations, all of whom came together with Botti to perform on his smash albums When I Fall In Love and To Love Again. Sting, Burt Bacharach, and Gladys Knight are but a few of the instantly recognizable names working alongside Botti in this show. The concert is chock-full of hit songs, the originals of which span several decades, including Good Morning Heartache, Pennies From Heaven, and Someone to Watch Over Me. When Sting comes on stage to sing What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?, his vocals blend in to the style, sounding as if he's rehearsed this song his entire life. He and Botti are a great combination and obviously respect one another a great deal. Paul Buchanan singing Are You Lonesome Tonight was my favorite piece in the entire concert. There is quite a bit of really great material in this show, not to mention absolutely stunning performances by the orchestra and Bottis' own band of which he is obviously very proud of and grateful towards. Chris Botti Live With Orchestra and Special Guests is easily one of the best concerts I've had the privilege of ever seeing (admittedly I've seen fewer than most), but I'm certainly craving more from both Botti and other musicians of his style, though they have quite a bit to live up to if they want to meet and surpass the performance on display by Chris Botti in this show.

Chris Botti: Live with Orchestra & Special Guests Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Chris Botti Live With Orchestra and Special Guests is presented on Blu-ray in 1080i high definition. I'm stunned at the level of detail on this disc. Depsite its presentation as an interlaced rather than a progressive 1080 image, reproduction of the source material is simply splendid. Blacks are some of the deepest I've seen, representing what all other discs of this or any type should strive for. While a dark image, there is some brightness thanks to the stage lighting. Purple is the dominant hue, and Chris Botti often appears on screen drenched in a pleasing, purple light. This image is very vibrant and proves to be an excellent showcase as to just what Blu-ray high definition is capable of. The level of detail on display here is fantastic. The viewers can see the wear on Botti's 1940s vintage Martin Committee trumpet as clearly as if they were holding it in their own hands. The resolution present in faces, clothing, and the crowd at large stands out as superb. In short, I couldn't have been more pleased with the image on this Blu-ray disc.

Chris Botti: Live with Orchestra & Special Guests Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Like any good concert Blu-ray disc worth its salt, a high definition PCM uncompressed 5.1 soundtrack is included here, and it's a stunner. Fidelity is absolutely amazing. This may be the perfect soundtrack. It's second to none in in its ability to reproduce a natural, pleasing, yet powerful reproduction. Botti's trumpet playing is amazing, and it couldn't be any more realistic than if you were sitting in the front row of the audience. The highs and midrange of Botti's trumpet are so pleasing and so real that its uncanny. The lows of the percussion section of the orchestra are deep and powerful but never overtake Botti's primary instrument. The sound is all encompassing. The rear soundstage is fully active, creating a perfectly immersive soundstage that must be heard to be believed. I'm now convinced that concerts are perhaps the ultimate demo material, and while I've only reviewed two to date (the other being Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour), I'm eager to screen more and if they are as excellent as these two discs, I may just find myself a full-time music fan once again, and an even bigger fan of musical performances on high-definition Blu-ray discs.

Chris Botti: Live with Orchestra & Special Guests Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Chris Botti fans will likely be pleased with the special features presented on this disc. Behind the Scenes: Chris Botti Live (1080i, 30:02) looks at the extraordinary effort that went into making this concert, both technically and bringing all the talent involved together for a one time performance. Botti is very outgoing and honest, discussing things that went right and wrong during the show. He discusses his relationship with the musicians that appear in his show, and in turn the artists that appear alongside Botti say how great it is to work with him. Chris Botti proved entertaining enough for me to mostly enjoy this backstage feature, and I am sure his die hard fans will love it.

The Musicians (480p, 9:51) is a look at the band that supports Chris Botti. We get to meet his band members fairly in-depth despite the short run time. They are entertaining and come off as nice people. They are also all uniformly terrific at their craft. Interview With Chris Botti (480p, 19:20) features quite a bit of recycled material from the first feature, but there is plenty of new material here as well. Chris Botti and Sting Introduction (480p, 8:44) showcases these two musicians discussing how they came to work together and the role Sting has played in Bottis' career. Finally, >'Message in a Bottle' Featuring Sting (480p, 5:19) is a the full version of the song referenced in the previous feature.

Chris Botti: Live with Orchestra & Special Guests Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Chris Botti has earned a new fan today. His style of music and the smooth vocals of his guests have filled a musical void I've been searching for for a while now. Chris Botti: Live With Orchestra and Special Guests is a marvelous show put on by a marvelous performer with marvelous guest appearances, and now the entire experience is a marvelous Blu-ray disc. Not only were the visuals of the show superb and exceptionally reproduced, but the music itself is at times mesmerizing, at other times relaxing, and at all times wholly delightful. It's duplication on this high definition disc is second to none and this disc is now my primary resource in showcasing what Blu-ray is capable of, sonically. Chris Botti fans should be pleased with the supplemental materials as well. I believe that Chris Botti is a musician that can appeal to people with all sorts of musical tastes and backgrounds, and this performance in particular will be winning over a lot of fans to both the musician and his style of music for years to come. Chris Botti: Live With Orchestra and Guests comes highly recommended!