I was the kind of student that would leave the books in the foyer to sit there until next week's lesson, Batiste said. No practice at home. The beauty of the music didn't dawn on me until later.
Now Batiste, 38, is returning to his classical roots with an album called Beethoven Blues. It features his improvisations on masterpieces like Fur Elise and the Fifth Symphony, as well as Beethoven-inspired compositions like Dusklight Movement and Life of Ludwig.
For Batiste, who recorded the album in a day and a half at his home in Brooklyn, the project is personal. It brings him back to the Maple Leaf Bar and other stages in New Orleans, where, as a teenager, he began fusing Chopin nocturnes and Bach inventions with his own music.
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