vntgbrslvr

I spent last night with my family watching Chris Botti and his band. My wife had purchased tickets for my birthday.

I have to say it's one of the better concerts that I have been to, and I've seen some of the big boys play live (Maynard several times, Doc a couple of times, Wynton, Canadian Brass etc...). You can talk all you want about technical prowess, mad skillz etc....but nothing beats watching a band that knows how to have a good time. These guys were tight and having a great time. While I've heard mixed reviews on Chris from others here on the forum. I was impressed. He played a flawless concert, showed heaps of control, plenty of technical ability and very impressive sound.

If he hits your area it's worth your time.

He was great with the audience (this was pretty intimate at the Riverside Theater), and was kind enough to spend time signing ticket stubs, posters , or purchased cd's out in the lobby after the show.

A great experience top to bottom.

Brian

__________________
Pan America Pea Shooter
Conn Connquest
47 King Liberty Trumpet
Bach Stratavarious (everyday horn)
Yamaha TR-639 Rose bell
37 buescher Aristrocrat "custom built" Cornet
Olds Studio (nickel plate)
57 conn 12A Coprion
Holton Collegiate Cornet
Conn Victor Cornet
Conn 1914 Perfected wonder (C, B, A flat)
Conn 1912 perfected wonder (C, B flat)
Buescher 1903 Epoch Cornet
57 Olds Special Cornet
Olds Ambassador Trumpet
1935 Mahillon Flugel
Reynolds marching F

Solar Bell

Sounds like you had a great time.

Don't be concerned about whatever you hear on the forum....people like different things and it's too bad that they have to blast the things they don't like.

Botti is a player and an entertainer, 'nuff said!

__________________
Chuck Willard
The Willard of Oz


"Don't be afraid to see what you see."
Ronald Reagan

The average response time of a 911 call is over 4 minutes.
The average speed of my 9mm is 1250 fps

When seconds count....the police are only minutes away.

A.N.A. Mendez

Good to hear!

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(Above) Alexanders ragtime band-circa 1960

"Baby, I'm already the coolest, and the hippist, now you want me to be on time too?" Buddy Love

"We appointed all our worst generals to command our armies, and our best generals to edit our newspapers." Robert E. Lee

stchasking

Chris plays Indianapolis on Thanksgiving day. I may make the trip.

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"I was performing professionally at age 17 and have never had a real job." Allen Vizzutti

http://cdbaby.com/cd/mcking

Bachstul

If one has anything bad to say about Chris Botti, let him first perform two nights with Lucia Micarelli, Sy Smith, Yo-Yo-Ma, Dominic Miller, Katharine McPhee, Steven Tyler, John Mayer, Sting, and Josh Groban.

Then, I'll listen.

A.N.A. Mendez

Don't think anybody has..............


Yet.....

__________________
(Above) Alexanders ragtime band-circa 1960

"Baby, I'm already the coolest, and the hippist, now you want me to be on time too?" Buddy Love

"We appointed all our worst generals to command our armies, and our best generals to edit our newspapers." Robert E. Lee

Dave in Vegas

Heard him in Vegas...loved the concert! Performed on Joe M. Trumpet and fl.

trumpetnick

Why would anyone say anything bad about CB? He is excellent in what he is doing. One may like or not his style, but that comes more to personal taste and preferences than to an objective judgment of CB's skills. I would love to see him live one day...but for now I have to satisfy my curiosity with recordings.

__________________
Spada Bach B flat 72, leadpipe 2L/DWMM1.5C
Spada Bach C 256, leadpipe 2LQ/DWMM1.5C
1956 Olds Ambassador Cornet
Spada Custom Piccolo

If you don't know where you are going, you 'll end up someplace else

veery715

Because this is TRUMPETmaster!

dhbailey

Remember the trumpet jokes -- they all have a basis in reality, especially this one:

How does a trumpet player introduce himself?

"Hi, I'm better than you."

I don't see the need to tear someone down, as if by doing so it makes the speaker/poster a better trumpet player. I know I did a lot of that when I was a young pup, thinking that by criticizing others I was showing off how much I knew. Boy was I ever wrong, and I am so glad that I wised up. I just wish I had wised up earlier in life.

These days I'm quite content to "live and let live" and even if I don't particularly like a person's tone/style/choice of music I realize it's my problem, not his/hers. And it's not really a problem, it's just that it's all on me, and I can either choose to listen more or simply walk away.

Chris Botti is an excellent musician who does what he does very well, and who has found a way to connect with his audience as few others have done in recent years. Louis Armstrong was often accused of "selling out" while actually selling out all of his shows so that there was standing room only.

A good friend on another on-line group (a sax player) shares this thought on criticizing others and how to address is:

He says that there are three audiences one can choose to play for:

1) yourself
2) other musicians
3) the paying audience

then he concludes by saying that you will get the audience you play for. So if you want to play for a paying audience, figure out how to capture their imagination. Chris Botti has done it on the trumpet, Andre Rieux has done it on the violin, Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli have done it on voice. They believe in what they're playing, they play it perfectly, they know their limits and are careful not to try to exceed them in performances and they put on a good show which leaves audiences wanting more.

We should all be so lucky!