Watch Jon Batiste’s Insightful ‘Beethoven Blues’ Performance On ‘Colbert’

Jon Batiste returned to The Late Show With Stephen Colbert where he was the show’s bandleader for many years. Batiste’s homecoming featured a performance of a special arrangement showcasing his album, Beethoven Blues (Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1).

Appearing solo on grand piano, the performance was augmented by a voiceover recorded by Batiste acting as a verbalization of his inner thoughts. Progressing through and blending familiar Beethoven figures like “Für Elise” and contemporary blues-rooted pieces like “When The Saints Go Marching In,” the narrating voice of Batiste shared space with his live singing.

“For each work on the album, the starting point was one of Beethoven’s original compositions,” Batiste previously explained. “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.”

Go inside the brilliant mind of Jon Batiste and watch his inspired performance below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HlUSIQ-qmI