Chris Botti: Live with Orchestra and Special Guests [Blu-ray]

December 2005. Los Angeles, California. Trumpeter Chris Botti, on the heels of his break-through gold certified album "When I Fall In Love", and the record-breaking follow up "To Love Again", plays two triumphant shows at the Wilshire Theatre backed by a full orchestra and his virtuosic band. Playing repertoire mostly culled from these two hit albums, Chris is joined onstage by some of the world's most accomplished singers and musicians (in order of appearance) Sting, Jill Scott, Paula Cole, Burt Bacharach, Renee Olstead, Paul Buchanan and Gladys Knight. Filmed for the PBS Special "Chris Botti Live With Orchestra and Special Guests" and now available on Blu-ray Disc.

Blu-ray Disc Track Listing:
1. Someone To Watch Over Me
2. When I Fall In Love
3. A Thousand Kisses Deep
4. What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life featuring Sting
5. Good Morning Heartache featuring Jill Scott
6. My One and Only Love featuring Paula Cole & Burt Bacharach
7. The Look Of Love featuring Paula Cole & Burt Bacharach
8. Cinema Paradiso
9. Pennies From Heaven featuring Renee Olstead
10. Are You Lonesome Tonight? Featuring Paul Buchanan
11. Lover Man featuring Gladys Knight
12. My Funny Valentine featuring Sting
13. Why Not
14. One For My Baby
15. Bows (Credits)

Special Features:
"Behind the Scenes: Chris Botti Live"- Never Before Seen Exclusive Footage of the concert event takes the viewer behind the scenes
"The Musicians"- A profile of Chris Botti's extra ordinary band: Bill Childs (Piano), Billy Kilson (Drums), James Genus (Bass) and Mark Whitfield (Guitar)
"One For My Baby"- This song was not part of the original PBS Broadcast
"Interview With Chris"- An extensive interview with Chris, giving his personal account of the events that led up to these fantastic concerts.
"Message in a Bottle" - Sting fronts Chris band for a stunning version of the Police Classic not on the PBS Broadcast

Video/Audio:
Mastered in High Definition
PCM 5.1 Surround Sound (96 khz/24 bit)
Dolby Digital Stereo (640kbps)
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound (640kbps)

Jazz trumpeter Chris Botti is mostly exquisite on this concert DVD, which gives old fans and new arrivals a chance to hear him apply his rich, expressive playing to a number of old standards, as well as one or two of his own compositions. Botti, along with a remarkable band including Billy Childs on piano and Billy Kilson on drums, plays six numbers as instrumentals but is joined on eight other performances by a few guests. Sans vocals, Botti warms up a delighted audience with a nice, if slightly exercised, take on "Someone to Watch Over Me," but proves magnificent on "When I Fall In Love" and especially Leonard Cohen's "A Thousand Kisses Deep." Then out glides old pal Sting (who invited Botti to join his own touring band some years ago), who has a nice go at "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?", followed by jazz-blues belter Jill Scott's terrific "Good Morning Heartache." Less effective are two appearances by Paula Cole, of which the second, "The Look of Love," doesn't work particularly well for anyone, including Botti and composer-pianist Burt Bacharach (also onstage). Renee Olstead sizzles up the joint with her kittenish "Pennies from Heaven," and Sting returns for a comic if touching "My Funny Valentine." --Tom Keogh