Chris Botti Live in Lowell Auditorium, MA | Concert Review by Susan Mutharia

Concert Review: Chris Botti in Lowell Auditorium, MA
By Susan Mutharia

It often surprises me that one can reside in a certain state yet be unaware of all the hidden gems it has to offer. The Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Massachusetts is one of those for me. It is in this historic monument that I was fortunate to see the very talented, very successful and very very handsome jazz artist Chris Botti (pronounced as boat-tee).The audience was a great mix – some were new to the multiple award winning artist and others like me, were repeat offenders who require his live rehabilitation at least once every year. All in all, when the host introduced the artist, we were all anxious to see him kiss the reed of his trumpet, and when he did, every breath was ‘hallelujah’.

Billy Childs, the Grammy-winning pianist and recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship award was the first to take set his place on the stage. Botti followed shortly after and opened the show to the heavenly Ave Maria. It was with the first track that he set his standard and won over the skeptics. He impressed the crowd while holding a high note for so long. This also served as a cue for the rest of his band including drummer Billy Kilson and guitarist Mark Whitfield.

Being at this show reminded me of why Botti is the largest selling jazz artist today and also why he won my heart. He always engages his audience to the level that they no longer feel like fans but more like his friends. He shares with them some accounts in his life for example his awful solo performance during sound check for Frank Sinatra or his gratitude to the artist whom he attributes his career Sting, or even narcissistic moments shared between he and Mark Whitfield as they watched Justin Timberlake perform Leonard Cohen/Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah and remarking to each other “…our duet is better.”

On stage, not only does he share great chemistry with his band but he also shares the spotlight with them and allows them to shine. Their relationship is the very essence of teamwork, for while they are each phenomenal and celebrated on their own, they are exceptional together. Then there are the amazing guests! Botti who has collaborated with many headlining artists including Andrea Bocelli, Jill Scott, Josh Groban, Yoyo Ma to name a few always brings some guests with him. Joining him on stage to sing The Very Thought of You and The Look Of Love was Lisa Fisher. For those of you who may not know her Lisa is the famous vocalist who has been the back-up artist for the Rolling Stones and has also backed-up for Tina Turner. She also won a Grammy award for the R&B single How Can I Ease The Pain. While I have seen videos of Lisa on fire, I was shocked and blown away to hear her perform the song Italia in Andrea Bocelli’s original key. As Botti said, “…this is a song that I usually don’t include in my concert set list because there is nobody who is able to perform it in the same key as Andrea Bocelli.”

After two serene hours, Botti closed the show to the track Nessum Dorma then proceeded not only to sign an autograph for each and every person who bought merchandise but also to meet, greet and take pictures with his fans. While I could tell you of every song that was performed in the concert, I do not want you to miss the live experience. Most of Botti’s life is spent on the road touring 300 days in a year. There is a show near you as we speak. Share your experience with me

Susan Mutharia
The Urban Music Scene