Studying the CD cover on which Jon Batiste is portrayed in a velvet red robe adorned with a gold-coloured scarf, and listening to the title track of We Are which frequently repeats the phrase 'We are the chosen ones', one might get the impression that we are dealing with a particularly successful cult leader. Whether this is the case or not remains to be seen, but the fact is that he is a popular
… leader in the Black Lives Matter movement in his native New Orleans. What the album does teach us is that Batiste is very religious, as evidenced by the various variations of gospel on We Are. This versatile singer/keyboardist also handles Motown well in the style of the young Stevie Wonder (Tell The Truth), hip-hop (Boy Hood), and neo-soul with a tap on the 2 (Adulthood). In this respect, he is very reminiscent of Raphael Saadiq. Unfortunately, the overproduced soul of Show Me The Way shows that he can also be extremely out of control. But fortunately the first nine tracks of We Are offer enough quality to be able to enjoy this album extensively. (AD)more
