Jon Batiste has released “Lonely Avenue,” a new single off his upcoming album Big Money. The track is cover of the 1956 song written by Doc Pomus, made most famous by Ray Charles’ performance of the song. Batiste’s version features him in a duet with the legendary Randy Newman, as Consequence reports. A video was made for the track, which can be found on Batiste’s YouTube channel.
The slow and moody track has both singers giving their A-game to convey the emotional weight behind the break-up song. The remorseful duet lets the differences in the singers’ styles stand on full display. The video stars the two singers themselves, starting with and mostly following Batiste as he traverses a run down and drab house, himself seeming glum. Around halfway through the video, he runs into Newman playing on the piano, joining him there as they wrap up the performance. As the credits roll, we see a lonely Batiste sulking by a window.
The track, recorded in one-take live in Newman’s bedroom, came in the spur of the moment during a conversation between Batiste and Newman. As the only cover on the album, Batiste wished to pay great respect to the track and especially to Ray Charles, as the popularizer of the track. “Ray is my patron saint,” Batiste said. “Just as the Big Money songs are in conversation with each other, I’m in conversation with Randy and Ray.”
Newman, while very popular in his own right, may be a name not many (especially younger listeners) will know for a solo music career. Yet many likely have fond memories of the many musical performances he’s lent to film over the years, arguably the most famous being the variety of songs he’s made for the Toy Story series of films. Fittingly, Batiste himself worked on the award-winning film soundtrack to Soul, also by Pixar. Despite the pedigree, Newman doesn’t outshine Batiste but is still a vital half of the two-man track.
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