Matt LuceyJon Batiste
Jon Batiste is an American singer, songwriter and all round musically inclined artist. His musical career has seen him performing with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Prince, Willie Nelson and many more. A multi-award winning artist, Batiste has gained a global fanbase for his musical talents. By the age of 8, Batiste was already discovering he had a musical aptitude as he played drums. At his mothers request, Batiste switched to piano, which remains his weapon of choice to this day. At 17, Batiste released the album, Times in New Orleans, which would give insight into his intended avenues of music. Following this, Batiste has had a long, storied career, playing with a variety of orchestras, managing musical events and writing. With a focus on Jazz and Blues, as well as soul and choir, Batiste has had a litany of musical influences. Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles and Louis Armstrong stand tall amongst his inspirations.
His works to date
Apart from releasing numerous albums, Batiste has a variety of achievements under his belt. He has performed in a number of tribute concerts to his heroes. He composed the soundtrack to the Disney movie “Soul”. In addition, he has been awarded numerous awards and accolades and is the director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. Aside from all of this, Batiste has a bachelors in music from Julliard as well as a Masters in Jazz. All in, Batiste is a musical marvel and a well respected member of the Jazz and wider music community.
With 9 studio albums, 9 EPs, 2 soundtracks and many more live albums, Batiste has had a busy career. With 3 releases in the last 2 years, getting a 4th is something of a blessing. After so many albums in such a short time, it seemed unlikely that this new release would be as polished as his other. Naturally though, Batiste has released another incredible work of music that maintains the standard we’ve come to expect from him.
The New Album
This album was released in August 2025, marking his 9th studio album. Released through Verve records, this albums featured appearances from Andra Ray, Randy Newman and other musicians. Batiste claims he was inspired to write this album during his Uneasy tour, back in 2024, and has been in the works since. While a number of producers were involved, Jon himself played a large role in the process.
“BIG MONEY“
The titular song, BIG MONEY is an immediate favourite. It has an instantly rowdy rhythm, making you want to dance along. Its not overly crowded instrumentally, with Vocals shining through some guitar and percussion. The vocals are fantastic, with a mix of spoken lyrics and some proper singing. The whole thing is rhythmic and works really well. The harmonica in the background is a lovely addition, just punctuating parts of the song to add some layers without stealing focus. It all works together so well. The backing vocals help in the same way, adding layers to the song, granting energy. A simple song in premise, perfectly executed. It fades out with the layered harmonic vocals, with accented spoken lyrics.
“Lonely Avenue”
“Lonely Avenue” features Randy Newman. This lovely jazzy track is very minimalist, letting Randy’s and Jon’s vocals take turns in the focus. The piano in the background backs up their voices, without much need for anything else. This one feels like two friends sitting down having some fun on a piano and taking turns to sing. The bluesy nature of the vocals shines through also, with a sadness that works very well with Newman’s voice. The piano mirrors the melody in the vocals, making it all feel like one. A really lovely soft song.
“Angels”
“Angels” is the final track on the album, and its a great way to wrap it up. This upbeat song is hard to pin down musically. Immediately, you’re met with with this vocal distortion with reverb. The effect is really interesting, as it sits on top of an almost reggae style guitar, steady through the song. The bouncy rhythm is constants and gives a sheer contrast to the vocal work. With the airy vocals, you get this sort of dreamy sound, while the ends of lyrics drift into reverb and delay with distortion. The guitar later is given the same treatment, with delay making it fit with the vocals. The song is a testament to Batistes mixing ability, with the song being simultaneously out of control and tidy all at once. The dichotomy between to vocals and the backing, the cleanness and the fuzzy vocals creates this strange but brilliant track that wraps up the album perfectly. The Harmonica in parts really is the cherry on top
Final Thoughts
With this album, Jon has once again shown his ability to create great music. Polished without comprising the soul, Jon’s signature style. It really is amazing how much this man does and we’re all excited for his next work. Knowing Batiste, that might even be this year.
