LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jon Batiste is hitting the road again. The Grammy and Oscar winner is launching his second headlining tour, promising fresh sounds for his forthcoming album and material from his latest project, “Beethoven Blues (Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1).”
Batiste announced Thursday that his Big Money Tour: Jon Batiste Plays America will begin Aug. 27 in Kansas City. He'll groove through more than 30 venues across the U.S. in cities like Detroit, Austin, Texas, Nashville, a co-bill with Diana Ross in St. Louis and Philadelphia, before closing in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 31.
For the first time, Batiste will grace the stages of the Encore Theater in Las Vegas and the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. He hopes the tour will offer attendees a deeper connection to him as an artist for the tour, a nod to his ninth studio album.
“Every show is both an origin story and a manifesto,” said Batiste, a seven-time Grammy winner who won an Oscar for his work on “Soul” in 2020. The tour comes on the heels of performing the national anthem at this year's Super Bowl and “Beethoven Blues,” which reimagined the famed German pianist’s work and debuted No. 1 on Billboard's classical albums chart.
Batiste, a Louisiana native, is known for his signature rich blend of R&B, hip-hop, swing, jazz and pop. He's also the former bandleader for the “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
The multitalented musician will wrap up his intimate Maestro Tour shows on Monday in Los Angeles.
He expects to be joined on the road by his wife, Suleika Jaouad, who is currently facing cancer for the third time and recently released a new book, “The Book of Alchemy.”
Batiste believes his unreleased music can still forge a connection, even with those hearing it for the first time.
“I try to tell the most up-to-date origin story through the set,” he said. “If you come to the show and you don’t know any of the music, or you don’t know anybody on stage and it’s your first time seeing me perform or seen me on television, you’ll leave and feel like you know the songs. You’ll connect with the artist, the human being and the movement. It’s almost like you’re going to see a play.”
Batiste said the tour will mark the beginning of his “next era” of music. He views the live performances as an opportunity to introduce new material to audiences, allowing the songs to evolve through connection before ultimately recording them for his forthcoming album.
Tickets will be available through artist presales beginning Friday.
“It’s about getting the music to a point where you and your community and everybody is acquainted with the sound and feeling of it,” he said. “You’ve explored every aspect of it. You’ve arranged and rearranged, then go record and share it, versus the opposite, which is most often the case. It’s fresh and brand new. Then you go on tour, and you start discovering things in the music on stage you didn’t even know were there in the studio.”
Along with introducing fresh sounds, Batiste said he'll incorporate some improvisation.
“I’m always going to find a space in the show where there's improv,” he said. “That's at the heart of what I’m all about in trying to represent the cultural music that I come from. I really take a responsibility to push forward. This is about bringing people together, channeling the moment and communal expression.”
FILE - Jon Batiste poses for a portrait during the 96th Academy Awards Oscar nominees luncheon on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn't scoring the way he usually does, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are still winning the way they normally do.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP, averaged 31.1 points during the regular season. In the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers, he is averaging 20 points and taking only 14 shots per game.
Oklahoma City has still won the first two games by an average of 18 points. Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each scored 22 points, and the defending champion Thunder beat the Lakers 125-107 on Thursday night.
Ajay Mitchell, starting in place of injured Jalen Williams, is averaging 19 points on 50% shooting in the series for Oklahoma City.
“I think the coaching staff does a good job at just getting all of us ready,” said Mitchell, a second-year guard. "And we have a lot of competitors. Like, everyone’s a competitor on our team. So every time the lights are bright, everyone’s ready to go.”
Holmgren is the leading scorer for the Thunder in the best-of-seven series with 23 points per game. The 2026 All-Star also is averaging 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.
Jared McCain, a midseason acquisition from the Philadelphia 76ers, barely played in the first round against Phoenix but has averaged 15 points and made 8 of 10 3-pointers in the series.
“He goes in there, stays in character, stays aggressive," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "He’s going to shoot the next shot. He makes the right plays, plays inside the team. He competes defensively, has had good defensive possessions for us. And he was huge tonight. You need that in a playoff series.”
The Lakers again were without scoring champion Luka Doncic, who is out indefinitely with a strained left hamstring. They also were missing forward Jarred Vanderbilt, the reserve forward who dislocated the pinkie on his right hand during the second quarter of Game 1. The Lakers had three players finish with five fouls, limiting their aggressiveness late in the game.
Los Angeles guard Austin Reaves, who struggled with his shot in Game 1, scored 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting in Game 2. LeBron James, coming off a 27-point effort in Game 1, followed that up with 23.
With the Lakers up 63-61 early in the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander got tied up with Reaves and was called for his fourth foul. Upon review, it was upgraded to a flagrant 1 for Gilgeous-Alexander's follow through. Oklahoma City's Alex Caruso was called for a technical foul as the situation was being sorted out.
Gilgeous-Alexander left the game with the Lakers up 65-61, but the Thunder rallied and took control without him. On a fast break, Holmgren found a trailing Jaylin Williams, who hit a 3-pointer and was fouled. His free throw put the Thunder up 85-74.
The Thunder outscored the Lakers 32-15 while Gilgeous-Alexander was out in the third quarter to take a 93-80 lead into the fourth.
“It was amazing," Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They strung together stops, they’re playing the right way offensively and things are going their way. Full confidence in those guys. They know how to win basketball games. And we've proven that. They’ve proven that no matter who’s on the floor, they know how to get the job done. And they just did it again tonight."
The Lakers cut Oklahoma City's lead to five in the fourth quarter before the Thunder pulled away again.
Los Angeles will host Game 3 on Saturday.
“We just stuck with it,” Holmgren said. “It’s the game of basketball. It’s not always going to go your way. It’s about how you respond. And this team has proven many times that we know how to respond. And we did so tonight.”
This story has been corrected to show that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 20, not 19, points per game against the Lakers.
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Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren (7) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves (15) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, front, works for a shot as Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves, rear, defends in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James stands on the court in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers' Deandre Ayton (5) and LeBron James, rear, in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) works to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
