Jon Batiste added three albums to his Batiste Piano Series on August 14: Black Mozart, Monk Meditations and Monk Movements. They follow Beethoven Blues, the series’ first volume from 2024.
Black Mozart is Volume 2 and was released through Decca Records US. The two Monk projects form Volumes 3 and 4, both on Verve Records. The separate labels and volume numbers help distinguish the releases within the continuing series.
Repertoire as a meeting point
The label describes Black Mozart through Batiste’s engagement with Mozart and Black American musical traditions, including jazz, blues, ragtime and stride. The project also connects to his own composition, rather than functioning solely as a conventional recital of existing scores.
The Monk albums turn to another major reference in Batiste’s musical development. Their paired release provides two titles to explore within the larger piano project, without requiring the listener to treat all three new albums as one interchangeable collection.
Follow the volumes, not only the names
The sequence now offers four separately identified records. Starting with an individual volume makes it easier to keep its repertoire and approach in view before making comparisons across the series.
This is a recording announcement, not a ranking of composers or a claim that one musical tradition replaces another. The useful connection is the pianist’s decision to place different sources in conversation through his own work.
Released: August 14, 2026 · three new piano albums.
Source: Official release announcement.
