Jon Batiste Kicks Off the Restart of the NBA Season with a Powerful Rendition of the National Anthem

Grammy-nominated musician, Jon Batiste, performs a powerful rendition of the national anthem in a way that has never been done before, for the restart of the NBA season.

In this performance of the National Anthem, Jon Batiste infuses the traditional Star-Spangled Banner with “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

Recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, Batiste was joined by a team of all Black musicians and creatives for the performance of the anthem including, Kassa Overall on the drum machine, Malcolm Parson on cello, Jauvon Gilliam on timpani, with additional production by Law Parker and Sunny Levine, and director Jac Benson II.

In a time when there is a collective outcry to re-examine national symbols and their origins, and generate more honest and inclusive narratives around works like the Star-Spangled Banner, these efforts are often met with pushback. Batiste’s rendition of the anthem speaks to the moment and is a representation of what this country is grappling with in real time.

Watch Jon Batiste infuse the National Anthem and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” to tip off the 2019-20 NBA Restart above.

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