Watching a concert on Blu-ray is the next best thing to being there, especially with the uncompressed PCM 5.1 Surround Sound.
But once again, the pace picks up after a fairly straight ballad with a lot more improv-this time provided by drummer Kilson, who lays into "Why Not" and clearly enjoys teasing the crowd as he varies his rifts. Then it's "One for My Baby" and a series of bows.
That's the blow-by-blow description of the concert, but it's the feel that really makes this Blu-ray stand out. On one of the extras, Botti says that if he can hit a one-handed high G he knows he's going to be okay. Well, he nails it, holding a pure, high note for longer than the average person can hold his breath without blowing into the mouthpiece of a trumpet. Other times it's his ability to bend notes, blues style, that impresses, or the control he shows in being able to play with precision quietly as well as full-volume. His band members have the same talents. Kilson really impresses when he plays with the same speed but with such pinpoint control that he's able to sustain a barely audible pattern on the cymbals and snare.
As concerts go, this one is really enjoyable, despite two or three play-it-safe songs. The other songs really make up for them, and the filming and editing adds to a you-are-there atmosphere. This disc features 157 minutes worth of material, including the concert. My daughter, who hasn't really listened to much jazz, at one point was inspired to go to our piano and bang out something instinctive that sounded an awful lot like countermelody. I, meanwhile, found myself taking the pen I was jotting down notes with and tapping out a little rhythm of my own. At some point in the concert, Botti tells how "American Idol" reinforces a "now" mentality, where kids these days don't think about working hard from the time they're nine or ten to practice an instrument until they get good enough to play in public. Everyone wants to be an instant star, he says. Seeing a live music concert at age 12 was what inspired him to become a musician, and he urged the audience to leave the babysitter at home and bring the kids the next time they go to a live concert. But if you can't do that, popping in a Blu-ray like this might be the next best thing.
Video:
Wow. The picture quality is absolutely amazing, given the stage conditions: different colored lights, a fog machine, kliegs that normally throw out all sorts of haloes, and audience cutaway shots. But director Jim Gable and his camera team and editor really put together a great video that showcases the kind of sharpness you'd hope for with a Blu-ray release. With some camera angles you do see a very slight graininess, but for the most part the picture is detail-rich, especially close-ups, with every hair and pore visible. At some point you can even see a mark left on Botti's lip by the trumpet. The picture seems to be a 1.78:1 aspect ratio that's stretched to fit a 16x9 television set, and combined with top-notch sound it's a real joy to watch.
Audio:
Though the default is set to a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround that produces a Concert Hall-style sound, with everything coming at you from the front of the room, I actually enjoyed the innovative PCM 5.1 Surround (96 kHz/24 bit) even more. Though it's a little strange to hear the drummer's combinations playing out of the rear speakers as well, the modulation is such that it tends to fill the room with sound. There's a third option as well--Dolby Digital Stereo--but for my money, you can't beat the PCM.
Extras:
There's almost an hour of bonus features, but they're not as exceptional as the concert itself. "Behind the Scenes: Chris Botti Live" is a typical documentary that combines behind-the-scenes footage with talking heads interviews, all of which tell about how the concert came about. Botti's footage has the same background as "Interview with Chris," which means of course that his remarks were chopped up and edited. In both cases, the focus is on the concert itself, rather than the road leading up to Botti's star status. Sting fans will rejoice in a number from the concert that wasn't included in the main feature, when Botti prompted the singer to reach back and do a blast from the past, "Message in a Bottle," from his old Police days. This wasn't included on the PBS broadcast, which is why it's here as an extra and not a part of the concert. My favorite feature, though, was "The Musicians," which gives us a glimpse into the talented combo players that back up Botti at all his concerts and on all his albums. It's interesting to hear how they came together, and how many of them had a history together before joining Botti.
Bottom Line:
Watching a concert on Blu-ray is the next best thing to being there, especially with uncompressed PCM 5.1 Surround Sound. It's enough to make you forgive those two or three songs that just don't soar as much as the others.
That's the blow-by-blow description of the concert, but it's the feel that really makes this Blu-ray stand out. On one of the extras, Botti says that if he can hit a one-handed high G he knows he's going to be okay. Well, he nails it, holding a pure, high note for longer than the average person can hold his breath without blowing into the mouthpiece of a trumpet. Other times it's his ability to bend notes, blues style, that impresses, or the control he shows in being able to play with precision quietly as well as full-volume. His band members have the same talents. Kilson really impresses when he plays with the same speed but with such pinpoint control that he's able to sustain a barely audible pattern on the cymbals and snare.
As concerts go, this one is really enjoyable, despite two or three play-it-safe songs. The other songs really make up for them, and the filming and editing adds to a you-are-there atmosphere. This disc features 157 minutes worth of material, including the concert. My daughter, who hasn't really listened to much jazz, at one point was inspired to go to our piano and bang out something instinctive that sounded an awful lot like countermelody. I, meanwhile, found myself taking the pen I was jotting down notes with and tapping out a little rhythm of my own. At some point in the concert, Botti tells how "American Idol" reinforces a "now" mentality, where kids these days don't think about working hard from the time they're nine or ten to practice an instrument until they get good enough to play in public. Everyone wants to be an instant star, he says. Seeing a live music concert at age 12 was what inspired him to become a musician, and he urged the audience to leave the babysitter at home and bring the kids the next time they go to a live concert. But if you can't do that, popping in a Blu-ray like this might be the next best thing.
Video:
Wow. The picture quality is absolutely amazing, given the stage conditions: different colored lights, a fog machine, kliegs that normally throw out all sorts of haloes, and audience cutaway shots. But director Jim Gable and his camera team and editor really put together a great video that showcases the kind of sharpness you'd hope for with a Blu-ray release. With some camera angles you do see a very slight graininess, but for the most part the picture is detail-rich, especially close-ups, with every hair and pore visible. At some point you can even see a mark left on Botti's lip by the trumpet. The picture seems to be a 1.78:1 aspect ratio that's stretched to fit a 16x9 television set, and combined with top-notch sound it's a real joy to watch.
Audio:
Though the default is set to a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround that produces a Concert Hall-style sound, with everything coming at you from the front of the room, I actually enjoyed the innovative PCM 5.1 Surround (96 kHz/24 bit) even more. Though it's a little strange to hear the drummer's combinations playing out of the rear speakers as well, the modulation is such that it tends to fill the room with sound. There's a third option as well--Dolby Digital Stereo--but for my money, you can't beat the PCM.
Extras:
There's almost an hour of bonus features, but they're not as exceptional as the concert itself. "Behind the Scenes: Chris Botti Live" is a typical documentary that combines behind-the-scenes footage with talking heads interviews, all of which tell about how the concert came about. Botti's footage has the same background as "Interview with Chris," which means of course that his remarks were chopped up and edited. In both cases, the focus is on the concert itself, rather than the road leading up to Botti's star status. Sting fans will rejoice in a number from the concert that wasn't included in the main feature, when Botti prompted the singer to reach back and do a blast from the past, "Message in a Bottle," from his old Police days. This wasn't included on the PBS broadcast, which is why it's here as an extra and not a part of the concert. My favorite feature, though, was "The Musicians," which gives us a glimpse into the talented combo players that back up Botti at all his concerts and on all his albums. It's interesting to hear how they came together, and how many of them had a history together before joining Botti.
Bottom Line:
Watching a concert on Blu-ray is the next best thing to being there, especially with uncompressed PCM 5.1 Surround Sound. It's enough to make you forgive those two or three songs that just don't soar as much as the others.
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[release]21386[/release]