Jon Batiste's eighth studio album gives the multi-talented pianist the freedom to play around - whimsically, beautifully and apparently effortlessly - with the works of Beethoven. As a solo pianist, Batiste is extraordinary and his musicianship exudes from every track on this new collection.
When I started Harmonious World, I wanted a podcast that talked to musicians, regardless of the genre and Batiste has done brilliantly here what so many other artists strive for, which is creating music that defies box-ticking. Beethoven's compositions inspire Batiste's improvisations.
When I started Harmonious World, I wanted a podcast that talked to musicians, regardless of the genre and Batiste has done brilliantly here what so many other artists strive for, which is creating music that defies box-ticking. Beethoven's compositions inspire Batiste's improvisations.
For those who don't know Jon Batiste, you almost certainly have heard some of his music - he has the Grammy and multiple other awards to prove it. He even has an Oscar for Best Original Score for Soul from the Academy Awards in 2021, and a nomination in 2024 for It Never Went Away.
Beethoven Blues (Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1), out November 15 on Verve Records / Interscope marks the first instalment in Batiste’s new solo piano series. If you want to watch this musicality at work, check out the video for the first single, “Für Elise-Batiste,” here.
A master collaborator, Batiste has worked with artists ranging from pop and jazz icons Beyoncé, Prince, and Herbie Hancock to classical legends Andrea Bocelli, Hilary Hahn, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Daniel Bernard Romain, and Chris Thile. In early 2025, he will make his debut on the hit UK TV show The Piano, following Lang Lang as a mentor in the BAFTA-nominated Channel 4 series’ third season, which continues the search to find the UK’s best amateur pianists.
A master collaborator, Batiste has worked with artists ranging from pop and jazz icons Beyoncé, Prince, and Herbie Hancock to classical legends Andrea Bocelli, Hilary Hahn, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Daniel Bernard Romain, and Chris Thile. In early 2025, he will make his debut on the hit UK TV show The Piano, following Lang Lang as a mentor in the BAFTA-nominated Channel 4 series’ third season, which continues the search to find the UK’s best amateur pianists.
Batiste is - simply put - a great musician and this return to his classical roots demonstrates exactly where this genius comes from. He says: “For each work on the album, the starting point was one of Beethoven’s original compositions. From there, I created something new at the piano, in real time. Spontaneous composition is a practice that’s all but lost in classical music, which can sometimes feel overly canonised. Recording this album was a deeply spiritual experience. It allowed me to honour Beethoven’s transcendent artistry while bringing his work into dialogue with my own creative journey.”
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