On the press tour for World Music Radio, Jon Batiste mentioned lofty goals of uniting listeners globally through his music. It is easy to see how Batiste had stars in his eyes coming off his excellent, GRAMMY-winning breakthrough WE ARE, unfortunately, World Music Radio, disappointed with middle-of-the-road blandness. His newest offering, Big Money, succeeds as Batiste is far less image-conscious this go around, with the record feeling like a natural extension of his vast musical talents.
After a classical-meets-blues instrumental piano break (the intriguing Beethoven Blues (Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1)), Batiste returns to more Americana roots/pop adjacent territory with Big Money. The album revels in the quirky influences that have supplied him with inspiration his whole life. There is gospel call and responses, blues breakdowns, jazz interludes, hip-hop flourishes, piano ballads, skanking reggae, sultry soul, and more.
Big Money has a very loose feel; at times, the recordings sound like first takes, and this tossed-off fashion works for most tunes. Batiste’s highest profile guest, Randy Newman, sings a rough blues piano duet with Batiste, “Lonely Avenue” (the Doc Pomus song made famous by Ray Charles) as the artists are unfiltered, working it out as they go along with charming ease. There is also humor present on the record. Batiste laughs, hoots, and hollers while delivering his universalist message of love and togetherness on the gospel-influenced foot stomper/handclapper title track that shimmies and shakes wonderfully.
A few efforts combine all of Batiste’s musical loves into full songs. Opener “Lean On My Love” featuring Andra Day builds with a hip hop beat, jazzy vibes, whistling, smooth R&B guitar, and horns as Day and Batiste fit beautifully together. Batiste’s choice to focus more on guitar playing on this album leads to some interesting numbers as both the environmentally aware “Petrichor” and the motoring “Pinnacle” take bluesy riffs, toss in dashes of hip-hop, and shift in unique fashions, keeping listeners off-kilter.
The straight-ahead piano ballad, “Do It All Again,” is the album centerpiece and his most traditional offering; a love song that will be played at countless weddings. “At All” winningly moves Batiste and his Wurlitzer organ work into grooving, cinematic, 70’s soul territory before the album closes on two questioning numbers. “Maybe” is the lone miss on the record, feeling like a journal entry that never comes together, but the full-on rocksteady of “Angels featuring No I.D. and Billy Bob Bo Bob” is a dynamic reggae offering. Batiste’s alter ego and No ID should put out a full Jamaican-influenced album if the results are going to be this good.
Perhaps it is just that first take feeling that makes it seem like a freer offering, but throughout Big Money, the multi-faceted Jon Batiste blends past and present expertly, while successfully mixing genres and inspirations with natural ease.
