In Greek mythology, Proteus, son of Poseidon and Phoenice, was a shapeshifter with the power to transform matter and change form; Grammy winning (and five times nominated) jazz trumpeter and composer Chris Botti is perhaps one of the most versatile musical chameleons on the music scene today.
His warmly received two-hour concert at the Barbican on 23 May showcased his redoubtable prowess on his instrument and the ease with which he ranged across hard-bop, pop, funk, European classical and R&B.
Getting the evening off to a rousing start with an impassioned rendition of Danny Boy, Botti strutted across the stage in a shimmering, tight-fitting jacket. The tension and cinematic delivery of this familiar melody was balanced by the tender accompaniment of pianist Andy Ezrin.
This was followed by Someday My Prince Will Come and When I Fall in Love – two staples of the Great American Songbook, which also appear on his new Blue Note release, Chris Botti Vol. 1
Indeed, the London concert was part of Botti’s European tour to support the new recording, featuring traditional jazz standards with a few nods to pop relevance such as Coldplay’s Fix You.
Born in the state of Oregon in 1962, Chris Botti was raised in Corvallis and started playing the piano at an early age, influenced by his mother, a classically trained pianist and part-time piano teacher. He switched to trumpet at nine after listening to Miles Davis play ‘My Funny Valentine’ and studied music at Indiana University, in Bloomington under the tutelage of David Baker, Bill Adam as well as Woody Shaw and George Coleman.
In 1999, he composed the score to the film Caught. Over the course of 30 years, Chris Botti has recorded and performed with the world’s best and most popular musicians including Sting, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Josh Groban, Yo-Yo Ma, Michael Bublé, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, John Mayer, Andrea Bocelli, Joshua Bell, Aerosmith, and Frank Sinatra and has sold more than 4 million records.
With a core rhythm section comprising flamboyant drummer Lee Pearson, Daniel Chmielinski on basses and synths and Ezrin on piano and synths, Botti held the Barbican audience in the palm of his hand.
Extra firepower came in the form of several outstanding guests – violinist Anastasiia Mazurok, guitarist Daniel De Moraes (performing with the band for the first time), saxophonist Chad Lefkowitz-Brown (aka Chad LB), and vocalists Sy Smith and John Splithoff.
Mazurok and Botti wowed the crowds on a joint rendition of Botti’s tune Emmanuel, performed up close and personal with audience members while standing in the aisles – a special and much appreciated touch.
Smith, a seasoned singer and solo artist in her own right, was captivating on a funky rendition of Feeling Good, made famous by Nina Simone (from the 1965 album I Put a Spell on You).
Impressive young horn player Chad LB has imbibed the styles of Coleman Hawkins and Hank Mobley, among others, and was the perfect foil for Botti, especially on Milestones.
Splithoff was persuasive with a haunting take on Sting’s Moon Over Bourbon Street and Elvis Presley’s Are You Lonesome Tonight?, which is Botti’s most-streamed song.
Bringing the curtain down on the evening with the Louis Armstrong popularised gem, What a Wonderful World (with help from a few randomly selected audience members in the front row), was a fitting finale and a powerful demonstration of music’s power to bring diverse genres and people together.
The Chris Botti show was produced by Serious
3 responses
I was so looking forward to this concert but found the quality of the sound absolutely awful. So much so we left part way through as it was not enjoyable. Very unusual for the Barbican concert hall but it was very shrilling at times and you could not hear all of the players clearly. Did anyone else find this or am I the only one.
No, I had the same issue and I was sitting right up front so received this full force.
From a performance perspective, I was also not impressed with the strobe lights and the acid Jazz approach Chris took to almost every song. He concentrated far too much on tracks from the latest album which I think is utterly lackluster (David Foster has always been middle of the road and it shows on Vol.1) and Emmanuel (no, John, it is not the Christmas carol) is becoming boring. Time to get some new material (and a new producer), Chris.
Quite frankly Mr Stevenson you must have been at a different concert to the one I went to at the Barbican. The sound quality was not up to standard at all. The trumpet was about 10dB higher than any other instrument and to cap it all Chris did virtually nothing in the style of what he is most famous for, gentle tracks like Indian Summer.
Each musician in their own right was fabulous but in my view Chris just tried to trump them every time. The drummer was incredible but perhaps better suited to a band like ACDC.
Needless to say I won’t be wasting any more money going to see him again and hope that his future albums don’t go down the same route as his live performances.
Michael