New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Multi-Grammy and Oscar Award winner Jon Batiste today announced his eighth studio album, Beethoven Blues (Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1), out November 15 via Verve Records / Interscope. Marking the first installment in Batiste's new solo piano series, the project showcases his interpolations of some of Beethoven's most iconic works, which he has reimagined through an expansive lens. These reimagined classics embody the indomitable spirit of the blues, and - true to Batiste's "message of open-armed inclusivity" (New York Times) - embrace a broad genre spectrum.
Beethoven Blues is available for pre-order on CD, standard black LP, and a webstore-exclusive translucent black ice LP, with limited signed editions available exclusively from Batiste's webstore.
The inspiration for Beethoven Blues gained momentum after a 2023 interview with CNN's Chris Wallace, where Batiste demonstrated music's ability to transcend genre borders by transforming Beethoven's Bagatelle No. 25 ("Für Elise") at the piano (watch HERE). The profound response from audiences across social media helped signal the timing was right to make this long-held album idea a reality. For years, Batiste has incorporated interpolations of classical music into his albums, TV performances, and live shows, but Beethoven Blues marks the first time he's dedicated an entire album to this practice.
"For each work on the album, the starting point was one of Beethoven's original compositions," Batiste shared. "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 canonized. Recording this album was a deeply spiritual experience. It allowed me to honor Beethoven's transcendent artistry while bringing his work into dialogue with my own creative journey."
Batiste has been variously described as "a certified musical genius" (The Guardian), "a protean pianist and megawatt personality" (Variety), and "a once-in-a-generation talent, with a passion for … connecting people through a shared love of music-making" (Classic FM). Born into a long line of Louisiana musicians, he trained as a classical pianist and received both bachelor's and master's degrees in piano from New York's Juilliard School. He now works with students and faculty as an inaugural Juilliard Creative Associate, as well as serving on the Juilliard board. Additionally, Batiste is on the Board of Trustees at Carnegie Hall as an Artist Trustee.
He returned to his classical roots in the 2021-22 season, when he curated a multi-concert "Perspectives" series at New York's Carnegie Hall. This was crowned by the world premiere of his American Symphony (2022), a Carnegie Hall commission, on the venue's main stage. Classical Source welcomed this large-scale orchestral work as "a joyous and beefy blend of orchestral sounds, funk, Dixieland, Latin, gospel, country, cool jazz, swing, hip-hop, R&B, as well as other styles and genres," while Variety reported:
"When he wasn't singing, scatting and screaming wordlessly and winding his vocals through his symphony's winnowing passages and rising rhythms, Batiste was doing what he does best: playing piano with incendiary ire and godly grace. … It wasn't just the story of America, and its collage-like charms and vices. This was also Batiste's story, and he made a handsome orchestral debut of that story at Carnegie Hall in a truly shining hour."
Chronicling Batiste's life during his composition of the work, a critically acclaimed documentary of the same name - American Symphony (2023) - was released by Netflix in partnership with Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground Productions. Batiste, in collaboration with Grammy® Award winning artist Dan Wilson, wrote and produced the song "It Never Went Away," from the film, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song the year it was released.
Beethoven Blues follows the success of Batiste's two most recent studio albums, both of which showcase the breadth and scope of his musicianship. "A concept album that challenges music's provincial genre borders" (New York Times), World MusicRadio (2023) received four Grammy nominations, including one for "Album of the Year," while the tracks "Worship" and "Butterfly" were nominated for "Record of the Year" and "Song of the Year" respectively. Similarly, We Are (2021) made Grammy history, receiving eleven Grammy nominations in seven different categories, and going on to win "Album of the Year" and four more. Other notable successes include the Disney/Pixar film Soul (2020); Batiste's hands provided the model for the animation of its piano-playing protagonist, while his music for the film won him the 2021 Academy Award for Best Original Score, as well as Golden Globe, BAFTA, NAACP Image, and Critic's Choice awards.
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 makes his debut on the hit UK TV show The Piano, following Lang Lang as mentor in the BAFTA-nominated Channel 4 series' third season, which continues the search to find the UK's best amateur pianists.
Looking ahead, Batiste's innovative score will be featured in Jason Reitman's film SATURDAY NIGHT, set for wide release in theaters on October 11. Depicting the chaotic 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live in 1975, the film is underscored by Batiste's musical masterpiece, which features a blend of jazz, classical, and contemporary elements. Batiste composed and produced the music live on the soundstage in front of the cast and crew, perfectly capturing the intensity and unpredictability of the show's debut episode.
Beethoven Blues TrackList:
1. Für Elise-Batiste
2. Symphony No. 5 Stomp
3. Moonlight Sonata Blues
4. Dusklight Movement
5. Seventh Symphony Elegy
6. American Symphony Theme
7. Ode to Joyful
8. Fifth Symphony in Congo Square
9. Waldstein Wobble
10. Life of Ludwig
11. Für Elise-Reverie
