*Jon Batiste joins soldier-musicians from the U.S. Army Field Band for a lively take on “Big Money” in an exclusive clip PBS shared with EURweb. The performance is part of “Salute to Service 2026: A Veterans Day Celebration,” airing Friday, Nov. 6.
“Big Money” is one of several songs Batiste performs with the Six-String Soldiers during the hour. He also brings his blues reworking of “Für Elise-Batiste / Alla Turc Movement,” his interpolation of Thelonious Monk’s “Blue Monk” and his anthem “Freedom.” Across the set, he sings and plays guitar, piano and melodica.
According to the news release, the Grammy, Academy and Emmy Award winner also reflects on his grandfather’s service in the Korean War and the relatives who shaped him.
Explaining why he wanted to take part, Batiste said: “Freedom is hard-earned and requires great sacrifice, often unrewarded and performed by unsung heroes that most of us never meet. Since the earliest days of this country my family has inspired me by their examples of service and resilience. They taught me the lessons of how important it is for us to cherish freedoms that we have and to continue to believe in freedom for all people.”
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Jason Kelce hosts the special, which honors veterans and active service members. Special guest Alejandro Villanueva, a former NFL player and Army veteran, takes Kelce back to his alma mater, West Point. Their visit includes a helicopter ride, a surprise ambush by cadets and a water obstacle course with a 25-foot drop. Villanueva also explains why his years in uniform, not his football career, remain the high point of his life.
The Field Band, celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, opens the show with “Gonna Fly Now” as Kelce sits in on saxophone. He later grabs the baritone sax for “Moanin'” with the Jazz Ambassadors. Other ensembles, including the Concert Band and Soldiers’ Chorus, perform in settings such as the Library of Congress and Arlington National Cemetery.
Kelce also trains with The Old Guard, the Army’s ceremonial unit. At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, he learns how its handpicked sentinels prepare to stand watch around the clock.
“Salute to Service 2026: A Veterans Day Celebration” premieres Friday, Nov. 6, from 9 to 10 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings). It streams at the same time on PBS.org and the PBS app. Snap Snap Productions produced the special, and Habib Azar directed.
Watch our exclusive clip with Jon Batiste above.
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