Christmas came early on Thursday when Jon Batiste and Nathaniel Rateliff linked up for a special performance of “Run Rudolph Run” for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
The Chuck Berry cover comes as the latest collaboration from Rateliff and the Colbert bandleader. The two previously joined together on the late-night talk show back in August 2020 for performances of Sam & Dave‘s “Hold On, I’m Coming” and Rateliff’s own “All Or Nothing”.
The video sees Batiste doing a lot of the heavy lifting as he mans the piano, drums, and electric guitar. Rateliff pulls his weight as well, handling an acoustic guitar, vocals, and a snare/tambourine combo. The hard-driving rhythm of Berry’s holiday classic, lifted from 1959’s Chuck Berry Is On Top, conjures feelings of sprinting through the airport with Macauly Caulkin (hopefully) in tow.
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Watch Jon Batiste and Nathaniel Rateliff’s performance of “Run Rudolph Run” from Thursday’s Colbert. Nathaniel Rateliff is currently on tour with The Night Sweats in support of the band’s new album, The Future. Their next performance is on December 16th at Denver, CO’ Mission Ballroom. For tickets and a full list of tour dates visit their website.
Jon Batiste, Nathaniel Rateliff – “Run Rudolph Run” (Chuck Berry)