Chris Botti hasn't had a home for the past couple of years.
When he has some time off from his busy tour schedule, the jazz trumpeter heads either to a Los Angeles or New York hotel. I caught up with him in L.A.
"It's been literally one suitcase and my trumpet in the carry-on and away we go," he said. "It's just been so incredibly busy I haven't had time to think about getting a place. It's been that way for six of the last eight years."
While he still loves touring, and he better, this year he'll be on the road for about 11 months, Botti said having a home in New York is something he looks forward to. Botti is originally from Oregon, but has lived in New York.
His crazy tour schedule continues on Sunday when he visits Nanaimo's Port Theatre for the first time. While he's played in Montreal and Toronto before, this will be his first tour across sa国际传媒, ending up in Toronto on Oct. 6. For those who have only heard Botti on CD, the live show is an entirely different experience, he promises.
His band members were nominated for seven Grammy awards this year for various solo projects. Keeping shows different and lively helps Botti and his bandmates stay inspired after so many shows.
"They are all very famous jazz musicians in their own way and it's just been this year I've been able to coerce them all into coming on the road with my band and making music," Botti said. "People are really blown away, they don't really expect that level of musicianship and when it comes out they're like 'wow.' Basically the live shows are very different than the albums, the albums are really contained, to put the listener in a very chilled out place. In the concerts we go for things a lot more. It's radically different every time."
Botti's latest release, To Love Again, features performances by Sting, Michael Buble, Paula Cole and Steven Tyler. A vocalist tours with the band to perform songs from that album. Botti's excited about the chance to play his own music in sa国际传媒. While he's toured with Sting and Joni Mitchell throughout the country, this is the first time he'll take his own band through sa国际传媒. They are doing 12 shows in the past two weeks.
"I've never been to Nanaimo before, but I hear it's very cute," Botti said.
With so much touring on the go, heading back to the studio won't happen until September next year, he said. Botti's recently aired PBS special, Chris Botti Live With Orchestra & Special Guests, was released on Aug. 29, including some of the vocalists from his CD. While he's performing songs off his previous albums, Botti said listening to the live CDs are different.
"It's filled with more energy and spontaneity," Botti said. "The studio world is a different thing than playing live. It can be great in the studio or not great, they're just different. But nothing is as good as when you connect with a live audience."
Tickets for Sunday's show are available at the Port Theatre Box Office, charge by phone at 250-754-8550.