Video = 3.75 of 5
Audio = 4.5 of 5
We're on the right track with this one. It isn't perfect, but it does better with the audio than many other Blu-Ray titles released thus far. Chris Botti's trumpet echos ever so beautifully into the surrounds, and to a lesser extent so do the rest of the musicians.
There is a noticable sense of ambience that makes me believe this is how L.A.'s Wilshire Theater might have actually sounded back in December 2005. This room-filling sound is the direct result of actively working the surround channels in with the mains to create a wider soundstage. Yet there's nothing gimicky about the mix. In fact, I will argue that, at times, we could still ask for a somewhat stronger surround presentation and still be within the bounds of good taste. Maybe slightly louder (and fuller) audience noises or vocals reverberated back into the rear of the room slightly more than they are. Maybe. I mean, hey, it's pretty good as it stands right now. And it sounds good, too, given that the recording is presented as uncompressed, multichannel PCM at 96 kHz / 24 bits.
The video aspect of this release, I'm less sure about. At times the high-definition picture is so sharp and detailed that I can literally see the pores on Botti's face. Other times the picture is a little fuzzy. I think that, maybe, the biggest obstacle that keeps me from reaching an instant high-definition nirvana is the fact that many of the images are surrounded by darkness. Or, frankly, pitch black. It's sort of like real life, I suppose. Walk around on a sunny day and colors abound; detail is everywhere. But breeze around town at night and much of that beauty is obscured by darkness. Yet, it's still there if you manage to catch it under a lamp post. Perhaps, I think, that is what the video here is like. I kinda thought it sucked at first, but I'm starting to appreciate its finer aspects even with all that surrounding darkness.
And, honestly, there are numerous times when the lights are shining on the band. Chris Botti and his trumpet, of course. But the pianist, the bassist, and especially the drummer are seen in top-notch form. The few instrumental tracks on this disc are, to me, the absolute prize of the collection. They're almost jamming! But then various singers such as Sting and Gladys Knight come out and the mood changes to a bit of a dull, "smooth jazz", yawn fest. Well... the duet parts aren't all bad, I suppose. But I'd have preferred 90 minutes of instrumentals instead.
Still... For only fifteen bucks, I can skip a few bad tracks here and there. I'm happy, even if I'm still waiting to be absolutely "thrilled" by Blu-Ray.
P.S. - As a bonus feature, you get to see Sting and Botti perform The Police's hit song "Message In A Bottle".
