There’s a new album by Jon Batiste, the Oscar-winning former band leader for “Late Night with Stephen Colbert” due August 22nd called Big Money and it includes a collaboration with Randy Newman on a classic song.
The two team up for a cover of the Doc Pomus classic, “Lonely Avenue.” The duet was recorded in Newman’s living room in one take. The song opens with Newman singing by himself, accompanying himself on piano. Batiste enters and takes over the melody before Newman re-joins for the chorus. Finally, Batiste joins in, taking over for Newman on the piano and the two intertwine their voices, complimenting and augmenting the other. The video is presented as a short film directed by David Henry Gerson.
The song was first recorded by Ray Charles in 1956, and it was his version that Batiste wanted to pay tribute to. And, with just two voices and a piano, it’s an incredibly affecting and lovely tribute. “Ray is my patron saint,” said Batiste in a press release. “Just as the Big Money songs are in conversation with each other, I’m in conversation with Randy and Ray.”
