Columbia
Records Set to Release ‘Chris Botti In Boston,’ the New Live CD &
DVD Collections Capturing the Chart-Topping Jazz Trumpeter’s
Star-Studded Concerts at the Landmark Boston Symphony Hall
Special Guest Artists Include Sting, Josh Groban, Steven Tyler, Yo-Yo Ma, John Mayer, Katharine McPhee, Lucia Micarelli, Sy Smith and More Performing with Keith Lockhart & the Boston Pops Orchestra
“Chris Botti In Boston” Available Everywhere On CD, CD/DVD, and Blu-ray On Tuesday, March 31
NEW YORK, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ — On Thursday, September 18 and Friday, September 19, 2008, American jazz trumpeter Chris Botti, one of the world’s top-selling instrumental artists, invited an extraordinary variety of musical artists — including Sting, Josh Groban, Steven Tyler, Yo-Yo Ma, John Mayer, Katharine McPhee, Lucia Micarelli, and Sy Smith — to join him on-stage with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Orchestra for a pair of once-in-a-lifetime concerts, produced by Bobby Colomby and directed by Jim Gable, at Boston’s historic Symphony Hall, one of the world’s most exquisite performance venues.
A master artist and performer, Botti, who’s sold nearly three
million albums worldwide, worked closely with an unparalleled roster of
the world’s greatest musicians, drawing from a wide-ranging repertoire
of pop, jazz, and classical music to create a series of aesthetically
rewarding performances and two-night’s worth of unforgettable concert
experiences. Chris Botti In Boston,
an extraordinarily luxurious film of the two-night event, captures and
accentuates the warmth, excitement, chemistry and spontaneity of the
shows.
The CD version of Chris Botti In Boston features Botti along with his special guests and core band — Billy Childs (piano), Billy Kilson (drums), Mark Whitfield (guitar), and Robert Hurst
(bass) — performing definitive versions of “Ave Maria,” “When I Fall
In Love,” “Seven Days,” “Emmanuel,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,”
“Cinema Paradiso,” “Broken Vow,” “Flamenco Sketches,” “Glad To Be
Unhappy,” “Hallelujah,” “Smile,” “If I Ever Lose My Faith In You,” and
“Time To Say Goodbye.”
The full-concert DVD and Blu-ray configurations of Chris Botti In Boston
include the bonus performances of “Caruso,” “The Look of Love,”
“Cryin’,” “Indian Summer,” and “Shape of My Heart” in addition to an
exclusive behind-the-scenes documentary chronicling the
making-of-the-concert as well as a deeply resonant performance of
“Fragile” unavailable anywhere else. In addition, the Blu-ray
configuration features Dolby TrueHD audio providing master quality,
high-resolution, 7.1 surround sound.
Following the exclusive televised premiere of Chris Botti In Boston
during PBS’s March Pledge Drive, Columbia Records will release the
concert extravaganza in three configurations — CD, a CD/DVD package
and a Blu-ray edition — on Tuesday, March 31.
Chris Botti In Boston is a
visionary expansion of, and worthy successor to, the artist’s first PBS
pledge drive special, “Chris Botti Live with Orchestra & Special
Guests.” Originally aired on PBS during March Pledge Week 2006, Botti’s
first television special became a perennial pledge drive favorite
nationwide while a DVD of that show has achieved RIAA platinum status.
About Chris Botti
Trumpeter Chris Botti is a gifted instrumentalist,
a talented composer, and a charismatic performer who — since the
release of his first solo album in 1995 — has created a series of
recordings which have made him one of the world’s top-selling
instrumental artists. Drawing from the worlds of pop, jazz, classical
and other genres, Botti created his own signature sound, transforming
the world of contemporary jazz while simultaneously finding success in
the pop music sphere. Praised for the warmth and complexity of his tone
and musical ideas, Botti combines a soulful ambience with naturally
flowing improvisation. He has earned both critical acclaim and
mainstream appreciation for a succession of best-selling albums
including When I Fall In Love (2004, #1 Top Jazz Album, #37 Billboard Top 200), To Love Again: The Duets (2005, #1 Top Jazz Album, #18 Billboard Top 200), and Chris Botti Live with Orchestra & Special Guests (2006, #2 Top Jazz Album).
Botti’s association with Sting — who appeared with the trumpeter on To Love Again and When I Fall In Love—
dates back to 1999, when Chris joined music legend’s band as featured
soloist on the “Brand New Day” tour, which lasted two years.
In the studio and on stage, Chris Botti has worked with such leading singer-songwriter/composers as Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell as well as renowned film composer John Barry, among others; as a sideman, he has appeared on dozens of albums, compilations and soundtracks.
In addition to receiving an RIAA gold-certification for When I Fall In Love in 2004 and To Love Again (both produced by Bobby Colomby)
in 2005, “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” (with vocals by
Sting) earned a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement
Accompanying Vocals.
Released in 2007, Italia, Chris Botti’s most recent
studio album, links the worlds of jazz and pop and classical music in a
suite of songs and music inspired by the romance of Italy. Featuring duets with Andrea Bocelli, Paula Cole and Dean Martin, Italia is rapidly approaching the RIAA gold record sales mark.
One of the world’s most popular concert attractions, Chris Botti
maintains one of the busiest touring schedules monitored by the
industry. Performing more than 250 concerts this past year, Chris’s
2008 concert itinerary included concerts at the Hollywood Bowl and New
York’s Carnegie Hall.