Jon Batiste does Beethoven
-
Jon Batiste has a new album out, called Beethoven Blues, where he riffs around some of Beethoven’s most famous pieces. Some of it is great, some of it is fun. All of it is interesting, especially to me because I play contemporary music, which used to get labeled “new age,” a term I never liked (probably because some people apply it with derision). So, one of the things I found interesting about this album was that, in merging Beethoven with jazz, Batiste creates a lot of motifs or musical thoughts that I associate with the kind of music I play. I wasn’t expecting that, so it was really interesting to hear.
Anyway, my absolute favorite piece from the album is Fur Elise Reverie. It’s amazing, glorious… none of these words fit… as it happens, Fur Elise is the only piece by Beethoven I ever played to completion and actually polished. This was years ago, but I always feel that you “hear” a piece differently if you’ve played it, so I think that’s part of why I enjoyed listening to Batiste go to town with it.
It’s 15 minutes long, but IMO totally worth it. But you’ll want to give a listen when you can sit for an awhile.
Link to video
