Chris Botti back in town for benefit show

CHRIS Botti

If the saxophone oozes with sexuality, the trumpet evokes passion.

One trumpet player who captures life’s mood swings with intensity and subtlety in equal parts is Chris Botti. The American musician has successfully bridged jazz and pop, even rock and the classics, through his records and live performances.

A recent article in the Los Angeles Times said Botti’s career is not about fame, it’s about the trumpet—which is a different route from what many aspiring artists take.

“That’s why we have ‘The Voice’ and ‘American Idol’ and all those things. Kids want to be stars overnight,” Botti told the LA Times.

He referred to “Idol” as “part music, part karaoke and part ‘The Price is Right.’”

His personal goal, in a nutshell: “I want to do music, to make a solitary commitment to an instrument.”

At age 49, Botti seems to have done it all. He dropped out of music school in college to tour with Frank Sinatra and Buddy Rich; collaborated with Paul Simon and Sting, Michael Brecker, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Bette Midler, Joni Mitchell, Natalie Merchant, Scritti Politti, Roger Daltrey, Burt Bacharach, Gladys Knight, Jill Scott, Renee Olstead, Andrea Bocelli—the list goes on.

Botti has released 11 albums, most of which have figured prominently in the Billboard jazz charts. He’s said to be “America’s largest-selling jazz instrumentalist.”

BRYSON Andres

The Inquirer has covered his past performances here—the most recent one was in November last year when he played at Greenbelt 5 for the launch of FM station Radio High 105.9.

That show, which also featured vocalist Lisa Fischer (who has sung with the likes of Luther Vandross and the Rolling Stones), defined music as a vital force in quality entertainment.

Radio High is bringing back Botti on Tuesday, June 19, this time at the Newport Performing Arts Theater of Resorts World Manila (RWM) in Pasay. The show’s proceeds will benefit the Young Musicians Development Organization (YMDO).

An interesting sidelight of the coming show is the participation of Filipino musicians as pre-main event performers: Elhmir Saison (keyboards), Roger Herrera (bass), Mar Dizon (drums), Tots Tolentino (sax), and Verni Varga and Richard Merck (vocals).

They will be joined by Bryson Andres, a young violinist from Anchorage, Alaska, who plays regularly at RWM’s Club 360.

Andres, who traces his Filipino heritage in Nueva Ecija, was discovered through his videos on YouTube, one of which shows him busking on a street in Spokane, Washington. The video has been viewed more than two million times.

Tomorrow, Botti will give a lecture for Filipino musicians, 6 p.m. at the RWM Genting Club (limited slots; call 706-1580).