Beethoven Blues

I love the music be what is the distortion or low hz buzz.

I have always wondered why I hadn’t heard of many artists redoing the classics with a personal take on their interpretation of what the classical masters would sound like if they were to have made their music in a different time, a different place and even from a different social experience? I always assumed it couldn’t really be done. I hear the contemporary classical artists who do their version of the classical masters which just sounds like the original but recorded with better equipment. We have our favorites who do a little more with their emotions pouring out into the original work adding something here and there, but still recognized as the original work. This adds that emotion to the original work and then gives that original work a lifeline. Evolution that you can track in realtime as you listen to each track. This is Reincarnation versus Eternal Recurrence. Eternal recurrence is what we have listened to since the phonograph and in theatres with a highly trained orchestra led by the original music superstars: the popular composers and innovative concert masters. They guided us through the same life of the work over and over. Every note anticipated as it was written. While this is the Reincarnation of those works a new life born from the the original. It is alive, it is living life anew. Free to incorporate new ideas intertwined with the old soul still alive in the sound. To bring in a new generation of listeners of the old classics, change has to be embraced. Not change for the sake of change, but because it is time. Time to prove that classical can evolve and have people look forward to the next album drop in the genre the way listeners wait for the next Beyonce and the next from Billie Eilish, and Adele to name a few. I would LOVE to see this as a series of tributes to other composers. Maybe some Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, or Chopin next? I grew up in the 80’s listening to the local classical station while my friends were listening to the 80’s pop music and hair metal bands, I played violin and made mixtapes of the music I called in to request on the classical station (mostly the 1812 Overture and Dance of the Knights (Montague's and Capulet’s)). By the time I finished high school, in the mid-late 90’s, I started working for the local Symphony Orchestra (a dream job for a broke student who got a lot of free tickets to all the off-Broadway and classical shows) while other big city orchestras were shutting their doors due to lower and lower funding, turnouts and interest, which had aging supporters buying tickets, less and less, but no real numbers of new fans excited for the new seasons or even basically knowledgeable enough beyond the Picnic with the Pops guest artists. I am excited for this album and albums like this that may be able to reinvigorate the genre exposing it to younger audiences and expanding musical IQ. I truly believe that music is life.

Not a good album

What can’t this magnificent man do ! Beautiful melding of jazz & classical music . I am entranced !

This is food for my soul. John Batiste never disappoints. This album blew me away and I can't wait to see if there will be a Vol.II

Magical. No one else has the imagination and skill to pull this off. Wonderful. Gorgeous. Listen.

JTP

A lot written recently about looking for wow moments in your life every day. I realize I’ve done that for 69 years. This is an amazing work which brings goosebumps and smiles and proud admiration at Jon’s talent! I have an extensive Beethoven collection and this a NOT to be missed addition. The master is somewhere smiling with pride!

Very talented artist. Beautiful twist on classical music. The blues was added in very subtle and yet its blended perfectly.

This is so new to my ears. Its old and fresh at the same time. International, cross-cultural, cross genres and pure genius. Very proud of my fellow New Orleanian. Real "Gumbo Baayby".