Chris Botti’s current live show is revealing a broader picture of the Grammy-winning trumpeter’s musical range, pairing contemporary material including Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ ‘Die With A Smile’ with film scores, jazz standards and classic pop songs ahead of his June 2026 Australian tour.
by Paul Cashmere
Chris Botti has spent much of his career moving between jazz, classical and pop worlds, but recent concert setlists suggest the American trumpeter is continuing to reshape his catalogue in real time. Ahead of Australian dates in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne in June, Botti’s recent performances have mixed modern chart material with songs spanning decades of music history.
The approach matters because Botti has long occupied a space that sits outside traditional jazz boundaries. Since breaking through with Night Sessions in 2001, he has built an audience by taking jazz instrumentation into pop, film and adult contemporary music. The latest setlists suggest that strategy remains central to his live performances, with repertoire choices reflecting the increasingly fluid way audiences consume music.
One of the more notable additions is Die With A Smile, the recent collaboration between Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. In recent performances, vocalist Sy Smith has joined Botti for the song, introducing a contemporary chart hit into a set that otherwise reaches deep into standards and soundtrack material.
The inclusion of the track sits alongside Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, Sting’s Moon Over Bourbon Street, Bee Gees classic How Deep Is Your Love? and A Song For You, the Leon Russell composition that has become a staple for countless performers over the decades.
Recent performances in San Francisco and Carmel, Indiana also reveal how Botti structures his shows around recurring musical themes. Music from Italian composer Ennio Morricone has become a significant component of the concerts, with Gabriel’s Oboe, Cinema Paradiso and Deborah’s Theme featuring prominently. Botti has also included Michel Colombier’s Emmanuel and traditional material such as Someday My Prince Will Come and When I Fall In Love.
The structure allows Botti to move between styles without dramatically altering the overall mood of a performance. Collaborators including violinist Anastasiia Mazurok, guitarist Mark Whitfield, vocalist Sy Smith and singer-songwriter John Splithoff have become important contributors to the dynamic of recent shows.
Botti’s crossover instincts have defined much of his career. Born in Portland, Oregon and raised partly in Italy, he committed to trumpet after hearing Miles Davis perform My Funny Valentine. By the 1990s he had become an in-demand touring and studio musician, working with artists including Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Joni Mitchell and Roger Daltrey.
His association with Sting proved especially significant. Beginning in 1999, Botti joined Sting’s Brand New Day tour and the relationship developed into a long creative partnership. The connection broadened Botti’s audience and reinforced his reputation as a musician capable of moving between jazz credibility and mainstream accessibility.
Commercially, that balance paid off. Four Botti albums reached number one on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart, while 2013’s Impressions earned him a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album. Projects including Chris Botti In Boston and To Love Again: The Duets further expanded his audience through collaborations with performers ranging from Sting and Steven Tyler to Josh Groban and Yo-Yo Ma.
The broader conversation around Botti’s music has often focused on labels. Some early recordings were categorised as smooth jazz, although critics and collaborators frequently pointed to his wider influences and technical range. His more recent material, including 2023’s Vol. 1, his first release for Blue Note Records, continued to move beyond straightforward genre definitions.
For Australian audiences, the upcoming dates may offer a chance to see that evolution in practice. Current setlists indicate concerts that move easily from cinematic orchestration and standards to modern pop songs that few would traditionally associate with a trumpet-led jazz performance.
Chris Botti Australia Tour Dates
Monday, June 15, 2026, Sydney, Sydney Opera House
Tuesday, June 16, 2026, Brisbane, Brisbane Powerhouse
Wednesday, June 17, 2026, Melbourne, Palais Theatre
Tickets: Chris Botti Australian Tour Tickets
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