Plot: What’s it about?
I’m not much of a jazz fan, but I do love Blu-ray so much that I had to see Chris Botti: Live with Orchestra and Special Guests, just to experience a high definition concert. Botti is a very talented trumpet player, joined by six special guests in this two day event, filled with music that should familiar to most audiences. Botti is joined by such stars as Sting, Paula Cole, Jill Scott, and Renee Olstead, all of whom shine here. The performances are smooth and Botti backs up his spotlight guests quite well, allowing them to do what they do best, which is how it should be. Botti isn’t the lone musician however, as he has an entire orchestra behind him and isn’t shy about letting prominent members take the limelight and showcase their talents. The music is quite good and the Blu-ray treatment is simply fantastic. This is as close as you can get to being there in person, so if this is a concert you want to see, this Blu-ray edition is the way to go, recommended.
1. Someone to Watch Over Me
2. When I Fall in Love
3. A Thousand Kisses Deep
4. What are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?
5. Good Morning Heartache
6. My One and Only Love
7. The Look of Love
8. Cinema Paradiso
9. Pennies From Heaven
10. Are You Lonesome Tonight?
11. Lover Man
12. My Funny Valentine
13. Why Not
14. One For My Baby
15. Bows
Video: How does it look?
The concert is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. This kind of concert would have been a nightmare on DVD, with smoke, flashing lights, and strobing colors, but for Blu-ray, its a cake walk. This looks simply fantastic, a razor sharp and life like picture that never disappoints. The lights show no unintended halos, so the visual design really comes off well, even the smoke is flawless here. The colors are vivid and bold, but never suffer in the least, while black levels look dead on, always accurate and very impressive. In short, this is the reason we want Blu-ray releases, incredible visuals.
Audio: How does it sound?
But this concert doesn’t just look good, as thanks to the PCM 5.1 surround option, it also sounds excellent. Your home theater will make you feel like you’re in the audience live at the show, with a lively and natural soundtrack. The percussion is amazing here, but all the elements come together just right. And of course, the vocals are clean and never muffled, so both music and vocals are well handled here. This release also includes a stereo soundtrack, as well as a standard Dolby Digital 5.1 option, but if you have a choice, go with the PCM soundtrack.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Behind the Scenes: Chris Botti Live is a brief, but fun at times piece that shows how the concert came to be. A little promotional in nature, but if you’re a fan of the concert, you’ll want to give it a look. Botti provides more insight himself in an interview, but if you saw the featurette, most of the information will be known. This release also includes a bonus performance from Sting, as well as profiles on Botti’s orchestra’s key musicians.
