Chris Botti jazz trumpet major to smooth jazz

Trumpetstud · Veteran Member Joined: 17 Mar 2021 Posts: 208

So Chris Botti went to IU and studied jazz just like everyone else did there. How did he go from "legit" jazz to smooth jazz? I don't think anyone "studies" smooth jazz. Just wondering how that works.

WestCoastTpt · Regular Member Joined: 13 Aug 2022 Posts: 39

My best guess is a paycheck!
Peep this if you haven’t already:

https://youtu.be/_iSNlXwS_Lc

Trumpetstud · Veteran Member Joined: 17 Mar 2021 Posts: 208

Is that you on trumpet?!?

Trumpetstud · Veteran Member Joined: 17 Mar 2021 Posts: 208

How would someone learn the nuances of playing smooth jazz vs say straight ahead jazz?

Trumpetstud · Veteran Member Joined: 17 Mar 2021 Posts: 208

My ultimate goal is to play smooth jazz. I’m making a guess that u continue with the jazz studies and then kinda pick it up as I go?!? Have to learn all the scales and patterns, improvisation etc but then magically one morning I’ll wake up as a Chris Botti mini me! 🙄😆

onlyson · Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2023 6:15 am Post subject:

Saw him live years ago. Wished the entire concert he would just once step outside the box and play something that resembled jazz. Nope. He does have the most beautiful sound though. Even with all the reverb. Which was a LOT.
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Tivolian · Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2023 7:07 am Post subject:

I’ve seen him live 3-4 times; I obviously keep coming back. He plays a lot of authentic jazz in his sets (talking the Blue Note shows). He solos creatively and screams high notes. He mixes it up a lot but there’s a ton of jazz that’s not “smooth”.

To try to learn to play “smooth jazz” I would think learning to play jazz is a good approach. Smooth it out later if you want.
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kehaulani · Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2023 7:29 am Post subject:

You learn Smooth Jazz like you learn any other Jazz - transcribing, seeing how the improvisor played over chords and how he used rhythms; listening to guys who play like you want to play: Botti, Braun etc, and not only trumpeters but guys like Dave Sanborn, Kenny G etc. and copying them. Listen, listen, listen.

As an adjunct - and only as a supplement, you still have to do the above-mentioned work - I found it helpful to get recordings and play-alongs of those recordings and, first to play along with the original, then lose your "training wheels" and play the solos in the spaces in the play-alongs.
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Christian K. Peters · Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2023 7:47 am Post subject: Chris Botti

Hello all,
Cool clip from Mount Hood JF. Danny Seigel played piano for a year or so when we were at UOregon in the late 70's. Brought back memories of getting most of the good players out of MHCC and ClackamasCC. I agree with following the paycheck. Botti got his foot in the limelight and ultimately with his path. I was able to follow the beginning of the legend through the Oregon grapevine. We new he was a rising star with NW roots. Oh, pretty sure Danny passed away a few years ago. Thanks again for the clip.
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peanuts56 · Veteran Member Joined: 21 Nov 2021 Posts: 229

kehaulani · Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2023 8:15 am Post subject:

An afterthought -
One thing I would have done more of when I was learning was to find a pop band to play with. There's just no substitute for doing; real introspection and analyses of your playing after every rehearsal, every gig, and then work on it.

If you can organize or find a group specializing in Smooth Jazz, great. But if you cant, don't overlook the opportunity of learning your craft in a conventual pop band. You may be able to find a pop band that will allow you to take your solos in a Smooth Jazz style, vs. i.e. R&B. And even if not, I personally found more similarity between Pop and Smooth Jazz as between Post-Bop Jazz and Smooth Jazz.
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kehaulani

JayKosta

Trumpetstud · Veteran Member Joined: 17 Mar 2021 Posts: 208

Thanks so much for all the responses. Jay I am talking about learning to play smooth jazz. Jay, I would love to play locally in some clubs, lounges or other venues. I told my wife I’d even be willing to go drop a hot on the sidewalks in Houston and have people drop some money in there and I would feel like I got some validation with my playing. She said “they wouldn’t be dropping money in the hat because of your playing. It would be because they thought you were homeless”!! Wow! She wants to ruin that for me too!! 😡🤬😆

Arranger-Transcriber · Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2023 9:29 pm Post subject:

Sting

Brent · Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2023 4:43 am Post subject: Smooth Jazz

This has not only an excellent interview with Chris Botti, but has a bunch of other interviews.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-trumpet-summit/id1554796831
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Richard III · Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2023 6:08 am Post subject:

lipshurt · Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2023 7:40 am Post subject:

Players making it on the smooth jazz scene (if there even is a smooth jazz scene anymore) are just players that can play other types of “real jazz” well but are doing “smooth jazz” for various reasons one of which would be money.

To get there, you need to be have all the skills a jazz player has to have but particularly a good musical sound, and logical way of phrasing and good control of the instrument, and taste.
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EdMann · Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2023 9:50 am Post subject:

Chris is an outstanding sound model, and if you want to sound like that, listen. I'm not big into transcribing, although I dissect them and work on selected passages, and I don't think there's anything more to it than that. Make a study of the man. As that 1983 shows, he's got serious jazz chops. That's where he came from and his growth wasn't instantaneous. It was a journey, one worth taking.

And yes, your wife is right!

ed