Jon Batiste Anatomy of Angels - Live at the Village Vanguard

Jon Batiste
Anatomy of Angels - Live at the Village Vanguard
Verve Records

Jon Batiste's latest recording brings together performances from different shows during a 6-night residency at New York City's fabled Village Vanguard, Batiste is, of course, best known as the bandleader for Late Night with Stephen Colbert. Still, this writer has been aware of him long before his present celebrity from seeing him performing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival where his set crossed genres. Of course, he comes from one of the great musical families of New Orleans, which include Alvin Batiste, Lionel Batiste, Harold Battiste, Russell Batiste, and David Batiste. The first recording of his that I noticed was an exuberant rendition of Thelonious Monk's "Green Chimneys," but seeing him a couple of times since he impressed not merely by his mastery of the piano but the joy that he conveys when playing.

His recent collaboration with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra devoted to the music of John Lewis comes highly recommended. This, like that recording, showcases the jazz side of Batiste whose music still continues to generally transcend classification. He is backed by his long-time collaborators, bassist Phil Kuehn, and drummer Joe Saylor. Also present on some selections are vocalist Rachael Price; tenor saxophonist Tivon Pennicott, alto saxophonist Patrick Bartley, trumpeters Giveton Gelin and Jon Lampley, percussionist and guitarist Louis Cato, and percussionist Nêgah Santos.

About the five selections, Batiste states, "The music on this release is all live, no edits or retakes. It's a snapshot of live art. I composed and arranged these songs as vehicles for exploration, to be dissected and put back together, live in action, never to be played the same way twice." He composed three selections, arranged a Thelonious Monk composition, and arranged a song from the American songbook.

 "Creative" is the opening composition. Batiste states that "Creative' was first written in 2011 as a part of a suite I was commissioned to do for The Museum of Arts and Design. I approached it like a builder. The architecture of this composition is akin to blending different styles of design. It's all about the balance of each section and how we maintain our equilibrium while navigating the sections. It is a fascinating trio performance with one section having a Monk-like simplicity with another having in him playing in a free vein while Kuehn and Saylor easily navigate the transitions into a different section. Then there is the tour de force "Dusk Train To Doha," with Batiste spellbinding on this blues original. Raechel Price is heard singing the standard "The Very Thought of You." She sings beautifully and coveys the melancholy of the lyrics framed by Batiste's restrained, understated accompaniment.

On "Round Midnight," Batiste shows how much he has absorbed Monk's music, while not attempting to copy Monk, but rather interpret the composition in his own style. After his piano introduction, the horns come in with some hot trumpet followed by riveting sax from Pennicott and Bartley. As he says in his notes, the band is on fire here. The final song "Anatomy Of Angels" is a long-form composition that is a part of a suite inspired by the celestial context of humanity. The lengthiest track, it is a multi-dimensional performance that ranges from a genial swinging portion with a melodious trumpet to an intense, post-Coltrane hot segment. There is exhilarating blistering trumpet, followed by Bartley employing the higher registers of his sax, and Pennicott's exploiting the full range of the tenor sax especially the lower registers. It is an enthralling close to this superb Jon Batiste recording.

I received a download to review from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the September-October 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 386). Here Jon Batiste backs Corinne Bailey Rae on the Ray Noble classic "The Very Thought of You."