Musician Jon Batiste has released three new albums as part of his ongoing Batiste Piano Series. The new titles include Black Mozart (Vol. 2) on Decca Records US, along with two Thelonious Monk-inspired projects, Monk Meditations (Vol. 3) and Monk Movements (Vol. 4),” both released through Verve Records.
These releases follow 2024’s Beethoven Blues (Vol. 1), expanding the series to four volumes. The projects feature Batiste’s own original compositions while placing his work in dialogue with classical and jazz figures including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Thelonious Monk.
Black Mozart reimagines Mozart’s classical repertoire using Black American musical traditions such as jazz, blues, rags, stride, and stomps. The project builds on ideas Batiste first explored as a teenager in New Orleans, when he performed an original piece titled “Mozartin'” with his cousin’s band, Alvin Batiste & The Jazztronauts.
The two Monk projects explore distinct musical directions inspired by the jazz composer. Monk Movements converts Monk’s jazz standards into contemporary classical piano compositions, while Monk Meditations arranges his music into a 33-minute sequence influenced by new-age styles.
Batiste drew inspiration for the Monk albums from his time as a student at Juilliard, having previously reflected Monk’s influence on his 2006 release, “Live in New York: At the Rubin Museum of Art.” He views both Mozart and Monk as figures who developed their styles by expanding upon the work of predecessors like Johann Sebastian Bach and Duke Ellington.
The new albums follow the commercial performance of “Beethoven Blues,” which spent five consecutive weeks at number one on Billboard’s Classical Albums chart and nine consecutive weeks atop the Classical Crossover Albums chart. Batiste also recently won Best Americana Album at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards for his 2025 album “Big Money,” marking his eighth Grammy win.
In addition to his album releases, Batiste is set to compose the score for Amazon MGM’s film “The Thomas Crown Affair,” directed by and starring Michael B. Jordan, scheduled for theatrical release on March 5, 2027. He also continues his “Jon Batiste Live: A Fantastical Musical Journey” tour this fall, featuring performances with the Atlanta Pops Orchestra, international festivals, and dates at venues such as Wolf Trap and the Hollywood Bowl.
Click here to listen to Black Mozart (Vol.2)
Click here to listen to Monk Meditations (Vol. 3)
Click here to listen to Monk Movements (Vol. 4)
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