On December 29, near the end of his stunning late-night set at the world-renowned Blue Note in Greenwich Village, Grammy Award winning trumpeter and band leader Chris Botti told a funny story about the time he performed with Sting in Tokyo 20 years ago.
With 20,000+ eyes fixated on him, he was making his well-anticipated entrance down a mock illuminated staircase set upon the grand stage. Within the first few notes of “Moon Over Bourbon Street,” he completely botched the solo! He admitted he really “f@$! the pooch” that night as the band rolled on the floor with uproarious laughter!
This year officially marked Chris Botti’s 19th Holiday Residency at the Blue Note, where from mid-December to early January, Chris has made his home since 2005. “Coming to the Blue Note for as many years as I’ve been is like coming home,” says Chris. “The best city, the best club, the greatest people.”
Wall Street Journal’s Review and Other Facts
The Wall Street Journal has described Chris as “…a December institution in the Big Apple at the Blue Note.” Since the release of his 2004 critically acclaimed CD “When I Fall In Love,” Chris has become the largest-selling American instrumental artist. His latest album Impressions won the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album. His success has crossed over to audiences usually reserved for pop music and his ongoing association with PBS has led to four #1 jazz albums.
Ready to Vindicate History
Now let’s get back to the present. On December 29th, I witnessed Chris’ story with my own eyes.
He quipped, “This is the song where I had my most embarrassing moment. It was 20 years ago when I thought it was okay to travel from Miami to Tokyo without practicing, but the trumpet did not agree with me. It doesn’t care if you’re on a plane, it must be practiced every night, or it will torture you to no end. In Tokyo playing for Sting the crowd was super quiet, so I could hear my footsteps walking down the steps as I played the opening notes, “ba, ba, ba,” and immediately could hear the whole band on their knees laughing at me. So now it’s time to rewrite the history books and play it on point!” Shortly thereafter the band went into a wonderful rendition of Sting’s “Moon Over Bourbon Street.”
Chris played immaculately, backed up by his truly amazing band, consisting of Lee Pearson (drums), Daniel Chmielinski (bass), Leonardo Amend (guitar), Julian Pollack (Piano, synth), and other stellar musicians and singers.
Other Magic Moments
The night was truly filled with many magical moments, as Chris with his charming tongue in cheek demeanor, called one stellar guest musician after another to the stage to accompany him and “his most dangerous band” on a wide variety of beautiful originals and timeless classics.
Throughout Chris’ amazing Holiday Residency run, his ability to consistently bring powerful guest musicians onstage is nothing new. Over the years Chris’ has featured many special impromptu musical guests, such as Sting and John Mayer. Celebrities from all walks of the entertainment business have also attended his performances, ranging from Mary J. Blige to Paul Haggis.
On this night, in addition to Mike Severinsen’s fantastic vocals and saxophone playing on “Moon Over Bourbon Street,” there were some other incredible performances. The wonderful violinist, Anastasiia Mazurok, played an absolutely haunting and arresting version of “Emmanuel” off of the 2009 “Chris Botti LIVE in Boston” album. Then there was a fabulous guest vocalist, Alicia Olatuja, with her soulful jazzy version of “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning” which endeared the lively crowd.
Overall, what stood out for me was that wonderful ambient sound, the sound all over the Blue Note was amazing, and the band played exceptionally every single song.
Backstage After the Show
It was a wonderful honor and real treat to meet Chris after the show. He warmly greeted guests, and he was super cool and excited to pose with me on a selfie.
Chris Botti next sets out to sea with his phenomenal All-Star Band for an unforgettable jazz cruise simply called “Chris Botti at Sea” sailing to Miami-Aruba-Curacao from February 8-15, 2024.
Link to the Village View article: https://villageview.nyc/2024/02/08/chris-botti/
Kaju Roberto is an accomplished musician, singer/ songwriter, journalist, and an award-winning producer. He is the artist Rad Jet on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/artist/32si7c4nk210HPuqbXvhJg