Musician Chris Botti and his triumphant trumpet return to KC

Chris Botti. // Courtesy Chris Botti

According to Grammy-winning musician Chris Botti, it’s been a hot minute since his band has made a pilgrimage to Kansas City. He guess-timates 14 years, but who’s counting?

Botti—who jokes he puts the “tour” in touring musician—has been in the midst of non-stop performances for the past 14 months, and his tour schedule now goes well into 2023. “We never really stop touring,” Botti tells us.

We called up the smooth-as-butter trumpeter and omnipresent bandleader while he was in New York to get the scoop on his upcoming performance at Midwest Trust Center’s Yardley Hall Aug. 24. “Plan on plenty of surprises,” he says. 

The Pitch: Can we go into the wayback machine for a minute? How did pre-teen Chris decide that the trumpet was going to be his instrument of choice for the next four decades?

Chris Botti: Twelve-year-old me heard Miles Davis on an album. I’d already been playing the trumpet for three years. Basically, 9-year-old me turned on the TV and saw Doc Severinsen playing in The Tonight Show band. And I thought, “I want to play the trumpet.”

When I was 12, I felt that musical connection to the beautiful side of the way Miles Davis played, and I thought, “There’s no turning back. I’m gonna play the trumpet for the rest of my life.” 

I didn’t envision a career like this. But it’s the same path as most kids who play a long-term instrument—like the violin or piano. Everyone thinks you’re Paul McCartney until the moment you come out of your practice room at 18 and say you’re moving to New York—and they say, “No, I want you to be a doctor or a lawyer.”

You have to convince your parents from the age of 12 that you’re headstrong. Twelve-year-old Chris saw that lightning bolt of Miles Davis and was like, “Oooh, I want to be that.” And I never let up. 

Your fourth album, Night Sessions—the one that sort of propelled you into the mainstream—just celebrated its 20-year anniversary. When was the last time you listened to it? How does it hold up?

I never really go back and listen to my records, but… I was crossing over into Thailand about seven or eight months ago. And while I was in the Bangkok airport, they were playing something from Night Sessions, and I was, like, “Ohmigod!”

I think that’s the last time I heard it, but I’ve never really gone back and put it on. You get too critical. It’s hard for me to even listen to music when I have dinner. My head won’t get out of the weeds. But I’m hoping it holds up—I mean, I’m proud of it.

It’s amazing how time flies. Twenty years?

You’ve since become the largest selling instrumental artist in the United States. No pressure, right?

[laughs] No pressure, no pressure. It’s having the privilege of being able to tour with my band and play music. I’m a guy who’s done every kind of gig. When I first moved to New York, I’d play in the street, the subway. I had no money. I scuffled. It’s such a great privilege to do this. 

You’re back on the road with concert dates well into 2023. How does it feel? I’m guessing the pandemic slowed down your schedule. 

It halted it—completely. Our first show was in Central Park last June, so we’ve been out for a year and two months. Our second show, believe it or not, was in Lviv, Ukraine. How the whole freakin’ world changed with the pandemic, and now Ukraine has changed—it’s just shocking. 

What should Kansas City expect when you hit Yardley Hall in a couple weeks? Any surprises?

Chris Botti. // Courtesy Chris Botti

We have a fantastic band and four special guests. I’ll keep them a secret because I don’t want anyone to know. And we haven’t been to Kansas City in a long, long time, so we’re psyched to come back. 

I remember two days before performing our Live in Boston DVD—which was really successful for us—we premiered it in Kansas City (at the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood) in September of 2008. It was great. We ran all the orchestra stuff from the Boston show for the KC audience, so it’s like we workshopped in Kansas City. It was fantastic. 

You’ve literally worked with everyone. Is there someone with whom you’re still dying to cross paths? 

Of the modern people—Billie Eilish and Ed Sheeran are fantastic. But I’m an old guy now, a veteran. I’ve had the blessing of working with everyone. I wish I could have worked with Keith Jarrett, but he’s retired. With all my duets, I’ve been so fortunate.

Olivia Newton-John passing away this week was crushing. Did you two ever work together?

No, I’ve met her a couple of times. What a loss. Terrible. And what a lovely person. What fame she had. I grew up in that era. Grease and Saturday Night Fever were like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter. It was in our culture. It wasn’t just a hit—people were losing their minds over it!

Speaking of celebs, do you ever get starstruck? 

I love comedian Doug Stanhope. We’ve since become friends, but I love his craftsmanship of humor. I like comics, man. They are musicians—the way they pace and thread a thought. It makes me really admire them. 

But celebs? Right before the pandemic, I went out in the audience and there was Harrison Ford! He was at my show. I was like, “Holy shit!” Could someone have told me? Could I have been told that? [laughs]

Han Solo was at your show! Your bio is endless. We could yammer on about all your work and your collaborations, but how do you humbly describe yourself?

I know I work really, really hard—and I practice an incredible amount. A human being’s life is decided by their priorities. I’m committed to this. That’s how I define myself in a positive way. I’m super committed to being a touring musician. You’ve got to really love being on the road—and I love being on the road. 

Hey, do you have a secret guilty pleasure? Inquiring minds want to know. 

I have a sweet tooth. I’d knock someone over for a piece of birthday cake. Absolutely. 

Even in the midst of your endless tour, what’s next for you?

I’m starting a new record in September. I’ll begin that recording process and it should be out in November or December. Yes, rather quick.

Chris Botti will perform at Johnson County Community College’s Midwest Trust Center’s Yardley Hall Aug. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now through the Midwest Trust Center Box Office. Purchase online or call the box office at (913) 469-4445.