WE ARE represents a completely new sonic chapter for Jon Batiste. Inviting some of the most esteemed creative minds to assist in birthing the album, he reached the finish line smack in the middle of the first wave of the worldwide pandemic and volatile social unrest. The result is a body of work characterized by the consciousness of Marvin Gaye, the grounded optimism of Stevie Wonder, the iconoclasm of Thelonious Monk and the swagger of Mannie Fresh. Alongside songwriter Autumn Rowe and producer Kizzo, Batiste wrote and planned much of the project in about a week from his dressing room at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he's the musical director and bandleader. WE ARE was recorded in New York, Los Angeles and in his native New Orleans, melding inspiration from his new home and new collaborators with that of the Batiste musical dynasty. The album was also recorded in between sessions for Disney/Pixar's 2020 hit film Soul­, which saw Batiste's music - and hands - incorporated into the animation about a teacher who dreams of being a jazz pianist. NPR - Weekend Edition Sunday's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with Jon Batiste. The prolific artist, who has composed music for Disney and whose band plays for Stephen Colbert, is releasing a solo album.   LISTEN TO THE SEGMENT

Jon Batiste joins The Current for a virtual session, hear a few recent songs plus a conversation with Sean McPherson about the influence of New Orleans on his music, setting his intentions with Stevie Wonder, and recording music outside of a traditional studio environment. This session was previously recorded in front of a live virtual audience of Minnesota Public Radio members.  SEAN MCPHERSON: I am beyond honored to be hanging out with Jon Batiste, a musical legend who is nice enough to be taking a little bit of time out of his day to share some songs with us and some conversation. I also want to give a big shout out to all of the members of Minnesota Public Radio who are making this possible and who are hanging out with us today. So let's welcome Jon Batiste. Jon, how are you doing today? Listen to the Interview and Read the Transcript

Jazziz - MATT MICUCCI writes.....If you're looking for some great new music to discover this weekend, look no further than our weekly New Release Cheat Sheet. This week, we bring you the first of a series of new singles by Joey Alexander on Verve Records, a dramatic track from Vijay Iyer's forthcoming visionary album, new music from Jon Batiste and more. Jon Batiste's forthcoming genre-defying album, We Are, is a love letter to his Southern roots and the heritage of Black Music. Written and planned from his dressing room at Colbert and recorded in between sessions for the hit film Soul during the first wave of the pandemic, the album also features guest appearances from Mavis Staples, Quincy Jones, Zadie Smith, Trombone Shorty and many more. "We Are is a message of love for humanity," he says, "of humble reverence for our past and of a hopeful future, in which we are the ones who can save us." Order We Are here. SEE THE JAZZIZ PAGE

WE ARE represents a completely new sonic chapter for Jon Batiste. Inviting some of the most esteemed creative minds to assist in birthing the album, he reached the finish line smack in the middle of the first wave of the worldwide pandemic and volatile social unrest. The result is a body of work characterized by the consciousness of Marvin Gaye, the grounded optimism of Stevie Wonder, the iconoclasm of Thelonious Monk and the swagger of Mannie Fresh. Alongside songwriter Autumn Rowe and producer Kizzo, Batiste wrote and planned much of the project in about a week from his dressing room at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he's the musical director and bandleader. WE ARE was recorded in New York, Los Angeles and in his native New Orleans, melding inspiration from his new home and new collaborators with that of the Batiste musical dynasty. The album was also recorded in between sessions for Disney/Pixar's 2020 hit film Soul­, which saw Batiste's music - and hands - incorporated into the animation about a teacher who dreams of being a jazz pianist. capradio's 'Saturdays At 6' presents a whole world of music out there that is barely touched on the airwaves. Saturdays at 6 is a curation of out of the box, pan-genre music from around the world. Host Kevin Doherty brings a brand new listening experience to a curious audience. Jon Batiste new Verve release; WE ARE is featured this week with 'Movement 11' & 'Sing.'

WE ARE represents a completely new sonic chapter for Jon Batiste. Inviting some of the most esteemed creative minds to assist in birthing the album, he reached the finish line smack in the middle of the first wave of the worldwide pandemic and volatile social unrest. The result is a body of work characterized by the consciousness of Marvin Gaye, the grounded optimism of Stevie Wonder, the iconoclasm of Thelonious Monk and the swagger of Mannie Fresh. Alongside songwriter Autumn Rowe and producer Kizzo, Batiste wrote and planned much of the project in about a week from his dressing room at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he's the musical director and bandleader. WE ARE was recorded in New York, Los Angeles and in his native New Orleans, melding inspiration from his new home and new collaborators with that of the Batiste musical dynasty. The album was also recorded in between sessions for Disney/Pixar's 2020 hit film Soul­, which saw Batiste's music - and hands - incorporated into the animation about a teacher who dreams of being a jazz pianist. For the week of March 22 2021, Jon Batiste - We Are is the Jazz FM's Album of the Week

Forbes Andrea Bossi writes......Louisiana born and Grammy-nominated musician Jon Batiste released his new album, WE ARE. Through a rich mix musical styles, from jazz to melodic rap, he tells stories of boyhood, joy, overcoming and love with 13 songs. To create a body of work like this, Batiste traveled deep into his roots, life experiences, and ideas about the future. During his journey, he learned more about his lineage, including with some help of DNA tracking. "Just to know that my family has a line of four generations of Black family farmers, and to know that the music that came from that, and the culture that came from that, and the sustenance that came from that is a part of my line," he said. "There's so much that, even in knowing that and making music, changed the process of how I look at music making." WE ARE has a richness that needs to be savored when listened to. The album can be best appreciated when it's played beginning to end, listened to just like a novel is read. And, if you close your eyes while it plays, he said, you can hear that it's also made like a movie.     PHOTO: LOUIS BROWNE READ THE FULL Forbes REVIEW

WE ARE represents a completely new sonic chapter for Jon Batiste. Inviting some of the most esteemed creative minds to assist in birthing the album, he reached the finish line smack in the middle of the first wave of the worldwide pandemic and volatile social unrest. The result is a body of work characterized by the consciousness of Marvin Gaye, the grounded optimism of Stevie Wonder, the iconoclasm of Thelonious Monk and the swagger of Mannie Fresh. Alongside songwriter Autumn Rowe and producer Kizzo, Batiste wrote and planned much of the project in about a week from his dressing room at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he's the musical director and bandleader. WE ARE was recorded in New York, Los Angeles and in his native New Orleans, melding inspiration from his new home and new collaborators with that of the Batiste musical dynasty. The album was also recorded in between sessions for Disney/Pixar's 2020 hit film Soul­, which saw Batiste's music - and hands - incorporated into the animation about a teacher who dreams of being a jazz pianist.

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Lightning 100 - Nashille Taylor Lomax writes....Jazz musician Jon Batiste has had a whirlwind past year. Known primarily as the musical director on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, he's pursued a variety of projects recently. Back in June, Batiste performed at the Brooklyn, NY Juneteenth celebration. Lastly, and perhaps most notably, he collaborated with dream-team Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross on the score for Pixar's Soul. Our very own Rev. Keith got the opportunity to chat with Batiste. The two kindred spirits went in-depth about topics ranging from racial justice to 2020 burnout. And don't worry about it all being serious-they make sure to talk some about sneakers before the end. Check out Keith's interview with Jon Batiste below! LISTEN TO THE Lightning 100 conversation with Jon Batiste

JAZZIZ' MATT MICUCCI writes....The Week in Jazz is your roundup of new and noteworthy stories from the jazz world. It's a one-stop destination for the music news you need to know.  Jon Batiste will release a powerful, genre-defying new album that aims to fuse the sound of early 20th-century black social music with modern pop production and a hint of hip-hop storytelling. We Are, out via Verve on March 19, also features collaborations with Mavis Staples, Zadie Smith, PJ Morton, Trombone Shorty and more. The lead single from the album, "I Need You," was recently released along with its accompanying video and Batiste defined it as "a vibe cleanse. After 2020, this is like a warm hug." Preorder We Are here. SEE JAZZIZ PAGE

Multi Grammy & Emmy nominated recording artist, TV star and activist Jon Batiste announces a new single "I Need You" from his forthcoming ‘black pop' album WE ARE. The album is set for worldwide release on March 19 (Verve Records). On "I Need You" Batiste showcases his vocal range, accompanied by his once-in-a-generation musicianship. Produced and written in collaboration with songwriter Autumn Rowe and producer Kizzo, the song is communal and deceptively sophisticated. It fuses the sound of early 20th century black social music, with modern pop production and a hint of hip-hop storytelling. He expertly alternates between belting high notes in full voice, to singing harmony with himself on the choruses, to delivering the verses in a ‘farm rap' style. Batiste then dives into two killer instrumental breaks on both piano and saxophone - all in less than 3 minutes. Says Batiste, "This song is a vibe cleanse. After 2020, this is like a warm hug," says Batiste. "Let's bring the vibes back!" Jon Batiste - 'I Need You' makes Jazz FM: A List as 'Breakfast Track of the Week'

HYPEBEAST's Sophie Caraan writes..... As we power through another working week, HYPEBEAST has rounded up a carefully curated list of Music Projects You Missed This Week. This selection includes a full-length release from Mica Levi, an EP from Jordan Mackampa, new singles and visuals from Duke Deuce, Jon Batiste, Markee Steele and serpentwithfeet and collabs from Knxweldge and Khruangbin, YBN Nahmir and 21 Savage, Benny Sings and Tom Misch and Arca and Oliver Coates. GRAMMY and Emmy nominee Jon Batiste dropped off his latest single "I Need You," a cut from his forthcoming "Black pop" record WE ARE. Produced and written in collaboration with Autumn Rowe and Kizzo, the song combines the sound of early 20th century Black social music with modern pop and the storytelling aspect of hip-hop. "This song is a vibe cleanse. After 2020, this is like a warm hug," Batiste said in a statement. "Let's bring the vibes back!" SEE THE FULL HYPEBEAST PAGE

This week's MusicSavage - #HotTakes......Songs that we think you should hear without all the pomp and circumstance features;  Jon Batiste - 'I Need You.' Multi Grammy & Emmy nominated recording artist, TV star and activist Jon Batiste announces a new single "I Need You" from his forthcoming ‘black pop' album WE ARE. The album is set for worldwide release on March 19 (Verve Records). On "I Need You" Batiste showcases his vocal range, accompanied by his once-in-a-generation musicianship. Produced and written in collaboration with songwriter Autumn Rowe and producer Kizzo, the song is communal and deceptively sophisticated. It fuses the sound of early 20th century black social music, with modern pop production and a hint of hip-hop storytelling. He expertly alternates between belting high notes in full voice, to singing harmony with himself on the choruses, to delivering the verses in a ‘farm rap' style. Batiste then dives into two killer instrumental breaks on both piano and saxophone - all in less than 3 minutes. Says Batiste, "This song is a vibe cleanse. After 2020, this is like a warm hug," says Batiste. "Let's bring the vibes back!" SEE THE MusicSavage - #HotTakes PAGE

Multi Grammy & Emmy nominated recording artist, TV star and activist Jon Batiste announces a new single "I Need You" from his forthcoming ‘black pop' album WE ARE. The album is set for worldwide release on March 19 (Verve Records). On "I Need You" Batiste showcases his vocal range, accompanied by his once-in-a-generation musicianship. Produced and written in collaboration with songwriter Autumn Rowe and producer Kizzo, the song is communal and deceptively sophisticated. It fuses the sound of early 20th century black social music, with modern pop production and a hint of hip-hop storytelling. He expertly alternates between belting high notes in full voice, to singing harmony with himself on the choruses, to delivering the verses in a ‘farm rap' style. Batiste then dives into two killer instrumental breaks on both piano and saxophone - all in less than 3 minutes. Says Batiste, "This song is a vibe cleanse. After 2020, this is like a warm hug," says Batiste. "Let's bring the vibes back!" Watch Batiste Lindy Hop his way through new single on the attached video. About the video, boingboing's GARETH BRANWYN  writes.... "Jon Batiste everybody." One of the upsides of COVID-19 isolation has been getting to know Stephen Colbert and his musical director, Jon Batiste, a lot better. During the Trump Virus shit-show, Jon has been a little nightly dose of heartfelt music and unwavering positivity. In this video, the single to his forthcoming record, We Are, a group of Lindy Hoppers in a gallery photograph come to life and dance with him and another female patron. Sadly, upon seeing this, my first thought was: Where are their masks? SEE THE boingboing PAGE & WATCH THE VIDEO

"It's got to be an experience. It can't be something that's like a museum piece." 88.3WBGO's NATE CHINEN writes.....Jon Batiste offered that assessment about jazz back in 2014, during a conversation with Walter Isaacson. He was talking about refurbishing the music's appeal for a younger generation - making its mission, and even its history, feel vibrant in the present tense. Batiste has kept up his part of the bargain there - as bandleader on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, as co-artistic director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, and as a solo artist with a freewheeling relationship to genre. The exuberant video for his new single, "I Need You," takes his proposition literally: set in an art gallery, it imagines what would happen if some archival photographs of Lindy Hoppers in Harlem suddenly came to life."This song is a vibe cleanse," he says in a press statement. "After 2020, this is like a warm hug." He adds: "Let's bring the vibes back!" WE ARE will be released on Verve on March 19 READ THE FULL 88.3WBGO - Newark NJ ARTICLE

Working to empower high school students through music education, Music Unites is a nonprofit foundation founded by Michelle Edgar, an agent at ICM Partners in Global Branded Entertainment and Concerts. The nonprofit just launched its summer program, Music Unites: Summer 2020 MusicVersity, in partnership with the Compton Unified School District. A Nonprofit company, Music Unites is hosting their free summer event, MusicVersity, virtually. The organization used obstacles created by COVID-19 as fuel to create a great online program. Program participants will learn about aspects of the music industry and life-skills. Music Unites' goal is to help educate and support at-risk high school students through music in order to teach them lasting life skills. The summer program, MusicVersity, is free and available to students online.  "The daily news has been our greatest obstacle. ...As laws change, we change," said Paige Powell, the press director for Music Unites. "We are having to adjust and pivot daily, but with the unknown future of education this fall, we want to lead the charge in providing music education solutions as it goes virtual."  MusicVersity is entirely online, allowing all students across the country to be able to join classes, not just local students. The program features music industry professionals who will teach virtual lessons to students, including Taylor Swift's music director, Linda Perry, and jazz artist Jon Batiste of Columbia Records. Edgar said that one of the most important components in the program are the professors teaching the classes offered.  "Our performers and professors have decades of experience and insights to share with students eager to get their foot in the door. In the music industry, there's nothing as valuable as mentorship and honest advice," said Edgar. READ THE FULL Spectrum News 1 ARTICLE

WWOZ 90.7 FM New Orleans has announced a follow-up to April's "Festing In Place" virtual festival, dubbed "The Next Fest Thing". Artists such as Dr. John, Jimmy Buffett, The Neville Brothers, and more will take part in the festival that runs from Friday, September 4th to Sunday, September 14th. Produced in cooperation with the Archive of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, "The Next Fest Thing" will also include performances by Fats Domino, Tank and the Bangas, Allen Toussaint, James Booker, Jon Batiste, Mavis Staples, and other jazz, blues, Cajun, and zydeco artists. Split over two weekends, the first four days of music will take place from Friday (9/4) to Monday (9/7), with the second segment running from September 11th to the 13th. Music will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. each night. Fans in New Orleans can listen live on WWOZ 90.7, and those outside of the city can stream via the station's website. READ THE FULL LIVE FOR LIVE MUSIC ARTICLE

Pianist and composer Jon Batiste is a young, energetic powerhouse full of the Crescent City party spirit. They start with an all out jam on "Blacck" that continues through "PWWR" fully engaging the audience in the celebration. We caught a taste of ragtime on "Kenner", Jon's bow to his hometown (a New Orleans suburb).  Batiste celebrates the late Roy Hargrove with the cool funky vibe of "Soulful". He performed this tune with Hargrove during his first appearance at New York‘s Village Vanguard a decade ago. It's very timely to record this set at the same venue starting on the day we lost Roy (Nov-2-2018). Chronology Of A Dream is a fitting dedication to Hargrove. O's Notes on O's Place

Southern California Radio's 89.3KPCC host, Jon Horn talks with pianist and "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" bandleader Jon Batiste about his musical influences that span his New Orleans roots, Thelonious Monk and the theme for the Sonic the Hedgehog video game. Batiste also reveals what first bonded him with Stephen Colbert and how he thinks about the power of music. Batiste's latest release; Chronology Of A Dream: Live At The Village Vanguard was recorded live during his six-night residency in the fall of 2018 and is a follow up to his recent critically acclaimed release, Anatomy of Angels: Live at the Village Vanguard, completing part two of the two-part series. The inimitable musician and bandleader explains, "My compositions on Chronology focus on thematic development within short form structures with memorable melodic themes, while Angels focuses on thematic development within longer form structures that are built for deconstruction, never to be played the same way twice." LISTEN p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d}

OffBeat solicited nominations from musicians and many others in the music community. We then gave the results to our writers and editors and with input from both, determined the nominations in each category. Click here to vote! The public starts voting on December 26 at OffBeat.com and voting ends on January 15.  Winners will be announced at the Best of the Beat, which will be held at the New Orleans Jazz Market on Thursday January 30. The inimitable musician and bandleader, Jon Batiste, released; Chronology Of A Dream: Live At The Village Vanguard via Verve on November 1. Recorded during his six-night residency in the fall of 2018, the live album is a follow up to his recent critically acclaimed release, Anatomy of Angels: Live at the Village Vanguard, and is part two of the two-part series.  You can listen to the first single "HIGHER" and pre-order the album here. 'Chronology of a Dream' has been noiminated for offBEAT '2019 Best Of The Beat Awards' in the 'Best Contemporary Jazz Album' category.      SEE THE offBEAT PAGE

This six song album by Jon Batiste is the second release to his residency last year at the famed Village Vanguard, and it's bubbling over with excitement and enthusiasm. Batiste's musical and life worldview is reflected in the liner notes that quote St. Irenaeus as writing "The glory of God is a human being fully alive." Batiste's gig with his large ensemble is a joyful noise unto God, with Batiste preaching from his keyboards. He goes solo on an enthusiastic Professor Longhair-inspired boogie of "Kenner" with hands clapping and fingers striding. The rhythm team of Joe Saylor/dr, Nehah Santos/perc and Phil Kuehn/b get funky with the leader on  "BLACCK" while features a hip guitar solo by Louis Cato, while the gospel groove is pounded on the upbeat "Prince" and the R&B is "Birthe." A dedication to recently departed Roy Hargrove includes his voice on section work of Tivon Pennicott/ts, Patrick Bartley/as, Giveton Gein/tp and Jon Lampley/tb on "Soulful" and the celebratory "ORDR" while Batiste preaches from the pulpit on the Crescent City pulse of "PWWR." Any residencies in LA planned? SEE Jazz Weekly PAGE

WTJU: Charlottesville VA - New jazz ADD's for the week of 11/19/19 include; Jon Batiste – Chronology Of A Dream: Live At The Village Vanguard (Verve): "My compositions on ‘Chronology of a Dream' focus on thematic development within short form structures with memorable melodic themes," Batiste wrote of the release on Twitter." (https://lab.fm/genres/jazz/jon-batiste-releases-live-album-chronology-of-a-dream/) Batiste wrote all but two of the songs on offer and those songs are "Soulful" (Roy Hargrove) and "Story" co-written with Hargrove, who sang on "ORDR".  Accompanying musicians are Joe Saylor (drums), Negah Santos (percussion), Phil Kuehn (bass), Tivon Pennicott (tenor sax), Patrick Bartley (alto sax), Giveton Gelin (trumpet), Jon Lampley (tuba, trumpet) and Louis Cato (guitar on  "BLACCK"). This is hip connected solidly to NOLA and funky enough to make you think you are there! Click here to listen to the songs on this disc. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d}

Thirty-three-year-old keyboardist and Louisiana native Jon Batiste has rocketed into public consciousness over the past decade. With a musical education fueled by New Orleans and the Juilliard School, he went from stages and studios to television via the Big Easy-centered HBO series Treme. Since 2015, he's been musical director for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. And his latest recording, Chronology of a Dream: Live at the Village Vanguard, is the counterpart to his summer release Anatomy of Angels: Live at the Village Vanguard. Both albums were recorded at the New York venue in the fall of 2018, with Anatomy being as exploratory as Chronology is concise. On the latter's strutting opening track, "Blacck," Batiste's infectious piano and scat singing, the rhythmic lock of bassist Phil Kuehn and drummer Joe Saylor, and the frenetic-to-melodic horns of saxophonists Tivon Pennicott and Patrick Bartley and trumpeter Giveton Gelin create a Crescent City party atmosphere. "Prince" features a second-line rhythmic cadence, accentuated by percussionist Louis Cato's tambourine and the surging horn section, complete with a stirring Bartley alto solo. READ THE FULL JazzTimes ARTICLE             p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

In the fall of 2018, pianist and bandleader Jon Batiste played a six-night residency at the historic Village Vanguard in downtown New York City. On August 2, Batiste released selections from those nights entitled Anatomy of Angels: Live at the Village Vanguard via Verve Records. The selection for Anatomy of Angels is comprised mostly of Batiste's own compositions, which range from bluesy ("Dusk Train To Doha") to Coltrane-esque explorations (the titular track "Anatomy of Angels" and "Creative.") In addition to his own works, Rachael Price from Lake Street Dive joins him for Ray Noble's "The Very Thought Of You." Batiste also arranged on one of the most famous works of his idol Thelonious Monk, "'Round Midnight." Batiste says of this recording, "The music on this release is all live, no edits or retakes. It's a snapshot of live art. I composed and arranged these songs as vehicles for exploration, to be dissected and put back together, live in action, never to be played the same way twice."      jazz&blues report REVIEW AS COVER IMAGE

Bandleader for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and New Orleans Jazz superstar, Jon Batiste and his band Stay Human will headline the Summer Gala that benefits The Ridgefield Playhouse, on Friday, June 21 - the first day of summer and Make Music Day, a celebration of music around the world. The gala begins at 5:30 p.m. and includes dishes prepared by local restaurants, an open bar and a chance to bid on silent auction items outside under a tent on the baseball field next to The Playhouse. Jon Batiste and Stay Human will perform at 8 p.m., in the theater. READ THE FULL Ridgefield Press ARTICLE

Don't miss the opportunity to get some of the best seats in the house for one of Newport's most popular summer events featuring Jon Batiste & Friends at the Friday evening August 2 concert of the Newport Jazz Festival. "Jon Batiste is always the life of the party. In fact, he's a party all by himself, but watch the musical magic happen when he and his friends sing, dance and play their way around the Tennis Hall of Fame this summer," said George Wein, Festival Founder and Chairman of the Board of Newport Festivals Foundation. "A Newport Jazz and Folk Festival favorite, Jon raises the bar for a fabulous evening of entertainment." READ THE FULL BroadwayWorld ARTICLE   p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d}

The "crowned prince of jazz" and GRAMMY nominee Jon Batiste, premieres two new singles "Changes" and "Don't Stop" recorded at Spotify Studios in NYC. The Late Show bandleader vocally and instrumentally delivers a masterful, mind-blowing cover to the late Tupac Shakur's 1998 GRAMMY award-winning hit "Changes," as well as a fresh remix of "Don't Stop," the first single from his debut album Hollywood Africans released on Verve. Simultaneously, VEVO exclusively premiered two new pop-soul-jazz live performances, "Mr. Buddy" and "Higher." Jon also recently served as guest host of the season finale of Live From Here with Chris Thile and honored the late Prince with a sultry, jazz performance of "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore." He also showed off his piano chops, tackling everything from Bach to Nat King Cole. READ THE FULL RADIOFACTS ARTICLE

"Live From Here" may be drifting away from its Minnesota roots, but the national radio show found all sorts of ways to pay tribute to the state with its last Twin Cities show of the season and its first without host Chris Thile. Guest host Jon Batiste, best known as the bandleader for CBS's "Late Show With Stephen Colbert," talked about how he spent time in college obsessed with Prince's "Dirty Mind" album before steaming up the Fitzgerald Theatre with a sulty, jazz version of "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore." The real star here was Batiste, who showed that he was just as enthusiastic and musically versatile as Thile, as the host was away performing with his group, The Punch Brothers. Batiste rapped, crooned and vamped in ways TV viewers rarely get to see. Most impressively, he showed off his piano chops, tackling everything from Bach to Nat King Cole. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} READ THE FULL Minneapolis Star Tribune ARTICLE

Only two remaining episodes for "Live From Here" this season will emanate from the Twin Cities -- and one of them won't be hosted by Chris Thile. But he has found a more-than-able replacement for the March 16 show. Jon Batiste, best known as the bandleader on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," will fill in at the Fitzgerald Theater while Thile is playing with The Punch Brothers out east, guaranteeing that the Minnesota Public Radio-produced show will remain in the hands of an enthusiastic, versatile guide. READ THE FULL Minneapolis Star Tribune ARTICLE

The Best of the Beat Music Awards were held for the 2018 edition at Generations Hall in New Orleans on January 31, 2019, and Jon Batiste took home the award for Hollywood Africans in the 'Best Contemporary Jazz Album' catagory. An internationally acclaimed musician, bandleader, composer, educator and television personality, Batiste spreads his unbridled optimism on Hollywood Africans, a nod to the 1983 Jean Michel Basquiat painting by the same title. The album is both an indictment and reclamation of the long history of discrimination faced by artists of color in the entertainment industry, and in American society at large. Born into a long lineage of New Orleans musicians, Batiste is a graduate of The Juilliard School with a master's degree.  SEE ALL THE WINNERS p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d}

The sold-out crowd at Campbell Hall for this initial event of the Arts & Lectures winter season was happy and they knew it. How could you tell? They clapped their hands. Although there were plenty of other opportunities to confirm the positive effect of Jon Batiste's recent solo show on the lucky people who got to see it, none was more direct than how they responded to the bliss-inducing version of the classic children's clap-along song that he conducted from the stage while playing the melody on his "harmonoboard." Whether seated at a grand piano at center stage or roaming the aisles with his hybrid wind/keyboard, Batiste was profoundly at home ​- ​with his material, with the audience, and with himself. It's no wonder that the soft-spoken, Juilliard-trained NOLA native has become such an integral part with The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he serves as music director. He radiates perspective, grace, and magnanimity ​- ​precisely those qualities so sorely lacking in the public figure that Colbert skewers nightly in his monologues. READ THE FULL Santa Barbara Independent REVIEW p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d}

Jon Batiste opens up about directing the music on a top network show, recording a solo album, writing a Broadway musical, and more. "Man, there is no other gig like this," he declares buoyantly, "It's like audio Lego. There's improvisation and incidental music, cues to accent different jokes. Then there's the audience-500 people every night, a different house. Jazz, at the root of what I do, helps me tremendously." Batiste, 32, is doing extra labor tonight as the musical guest, performing the quietly urgent ballad "Don't Stop" from his new Verve album, Hollywood Africans. Sitting in his office, a small room crammed with instruments and jazz memorabilia, he likens the album, his debut as a solo pianist and singer, to his duty on The Late Show. "With the world being what it is, Stephen addresses things that are really tense," Batiste says of the host, alluding to his topically pointed monologues.  p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} READ THE FULL JazzTimes ARTICLE

HO HO WHO: Jon Batiste, the New Orleans native who leads The Late Show's band, and Danielle Brooks, best remembered for her roles in Orange is the New Black and the most recent stage revival of The Color Purple, singing the purist tribute to the holiday season, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." It's a task many have attempted and few have mastered, but Batiste and Brooks have just the right amount of name recognition to take a shot at the song Judy Garland made famous without making total fools of themselves.  LET THE BEAT BE LIGHT: Garland and those that followed her tended to stretch the words and lean into the song's solemnity, but Batiste and Brooks take a lighter touch, filling the space between notes with finger snaps and riffs. It gives their version a bit more energy, and their quieter, less forceful vocals make the rendition seem casual, like a conversation between friends as opposed to a grand pronouncement about everything being awful. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} READ THE FULL Washington City Paper ARTICLE & LISTEN

It doesn't concern Jon Batiste if some people tend to put him in a particular musical box. "That's okay, I always break 'em," declares the pianist, vocalist and composer who leads his Stay Human band nightly on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." Those who know Batiste solely through his television persona see a gregarious, always smiling, stylishly dressed and extremely talented young man whose job seems to be keeping the music upbeat and in sync with the show's comedic host. As a bandleader he also does some singing, too, usually in the mix with his group. Batiste, 32, was purposeful in taking a different direction on his new album release, Hollywood Africans, his first on the prestigious Verve label. The music-and even the album's cover, which captures him in a contemplative pose-could best be described as serene. For the most part, Batiste is alone at the piano or backed by minimal instrumentation or other voices. "I think the people whom I've come in contact with over the last couple of years seemed like they needed a bit of a break or a bit more peace of mind," Batiste explains. "The music is meditative and it gives you space for reflection but it's also very hopeful. I think there's a void in music like that, especially in the mainstream. The feedback has been amazing so I think my instinct was fairly accurate. There is always so much stimulus, especially with the political divisiveness of these times, and things that you just deal with on a daily basis." p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} READ THE FULL offbeat ARTICLE

For the second year, Spotify brings early presents for every kind of music fan under its proverbial Christmas tree with 15 new tracks added to its hit playlist, Spotify Singles: Christmas Collection. The new batch is a mixed bag of artists, with John Legend, who gives the Jackson 5's "Give Love on Christmas Day" his signature piano-soul treatment. Nina Nesbitt sings a stunning "O Holy Night" and Juilliard buds Jon Batiste and Danielle Brooks (Taystee from Orange Is The New Black!) team on "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" that's perfect for a crackling fire on a cold night. There's also a jazzy rendition of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" by Tony Bennett and Diana Krall (the yin to the Springsteen classic's yang).  READ THE FULL RollingStone ARTICLE p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} span.Apple-tab-span {white-space:pre}

Pianist, bandleader, vocalist and New Orleans musical royalty Jon Batiste releases "Hollywood Africans," his first solo album via Verve Records (Verve Label Group). Recorded in a church-turned-studio in New Orleans and produced by T Bone Burnett, Jon Batiste's major label debut is an homage to his musical heroes and an intimate portrait of the artist – many songs are just Jon and his piano. An internationally acclaimed musician, bandleader, composer, educator and television personality, Batiste spreads his unbridled optimism coupled with a profound understanding of the arts. Born into a long lineage of New Orleans musicians, Batiste is a graduate of The Juilliard School with a master's degree. After graduating, he toured globally with his band Stay Human and currently appears nightly on national television as the bandleader and musical director for "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." Jon is a Forbes 30 under 30 honoree, Musical Director for The Atlantic and Creative Director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. He balances a demanding performance schedule with speaking engagements, curating events, occasional acting and producing opportunities, all while relentlessly composing new music. Jon is also a coveted brand ambassador–featured in campaigns for Chase, Apple, Lincoln Motor Company, and numerous fashion brands including Bonobos, Ralph Lauren, Barney's and Nordstrom. He has worked with famed photographer Annie Leibowitz, among many others, and his personal style has been profiled in various fashion publications including GQ, Vanity Fair and Vogue. Jon's mission is to share his faith, hope and love with the world around him. Watch the attached video p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px}

"Late Show" bandleader Jon Batiste comes home to Louisiana next month for a fundraiser benefiting the New Orleans Jazz Museum. The Dec. 8 event takes place at the Jazz Museum which is in the old U.S. Mint at the edge of the city's historic French Quarter. Dubbed the "Improvisations Gala," the event also will feature performances by the Trombone Shorty Academy, which provides music education to gifted students; and gourmet cuisine from New Orleans restaurants. The museum says the event will fund its musical and education programs in New Orleans, and promote Jazz worldwide. SEE THE Associate Press PAGE

Margo Price and Late Show bandleader Jon Batiste will lead 2019 Tibet House Benefit Concert, taking place February 7th 2019 at New York's Carnegie Hall. New Order's Bernard Sumner, Philip Glass and Chris Robinson Brotherhood also taking part in 32nd annual event. Proceeds from the concert benefit the work of Tibet House US, a non-profit educational institution and cultural embassy founded in 1987 at the request of Dalai Lama to ensure the survival of the unique Tibetan civilization. The 2018 benefit featured performances by Glass as well as Patti Smith, Carly Simon, Angel Olsen, Blood Orange's Dev Hynes and Tibetan folk singer Techung. SEE THE Rolling Stone PAGE

Jon Batiste has a new website which only lists his 2018 album Hollywood Africans in its "Music" link. But he was also prominent featured on The Music of John Lewis with Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis (Blue Engine Records, 2017) and of course he has others too including a remarkably avant-garde sounding one The Process (MOD Technologies, 2014) which he made with bassist Bill Laswell and drummer Chad Smith. Hollywood Africans is special not only because it has been co-produced by the ubiquitous T Bone Burnett who might seem most appropriately a sort of "Hollywood African" if ever there was a way to describe his tinseled status in music production today (along with Rick Rubin, of course). One cannot escape the oblique sardonicism – perhaps even Thelonious Monkish – of the album title especially as its repertoire honours the deep roots that Mr Batiste has in the Blues and cultural topography of Jazz coming, as he does, from New Orleans. Nor can one escape falling prey to the bewitching charms of the stark, naked beauty of the music itself. Mr Batiste's pianism takes us unexpectedly into another world, one we seem to have perhaps either lost or forgotten in the pursuit of more glamourous and instantly gratifying music. At the same time, Mr Batiste offers us an enticing opportunity to open our minds to something wholly purer that the music that we otherwise seem to become accustomed to. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} READ THE FULL JazzdaGama REVIEW

Music came naturally to Jon Batiste, the leader of Stay Human, the house band for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Growing up outside of New Orleans as part of a large musical family, he says, "I picked up on all of these things that are integral to who I am as a musician without necessarily studying them." By the time he was 8 years old, Batiste was fronting and singing lead for his family's band. Looking back, he says, the band was "a real celebration of our family." But after about a year, Batiste's introverted nature got the best of him. He quit singing and instead began focusing on musical instruments - first drums and percussion and then, when he was 11, piano. Batiste developed a unique style at the piano that combines a clearly articulated touch with strong emotions. He likens his playing to making gumbo: "You put everything in the pot and in the moment, you just fly." Batiste's latest album, Hollywood Africans, is a mix of boogie woogie, blues, standards and originals, including compositions inspired by classical music. Batiste conducted this interview while sitting at a piano, which he used throughout this conversation to demonstrate his style and influences.  READ & LISTEN TO THE NPR: FRESH AIR INTERVIEW

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px} Fans of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will recognise Jon Batiste, the young bandleader whose hearty chortle can often be heard in response to the host's jokes. The Juilliard-trained musician gets to show off multiple aspects of his talent - playing and singing - in this debut solo album. And what a showcase it is. Named for a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting, the album is Batiste's stated tribute to the legendary musicians who have paved the way for him. So the programme, comprising both standards and originals, is a whistle-stop tour of not just jazz, but also dashes of classical and pop. READ THE FULL Straits Times ARTICLE

I made a great discovery Friday night while attending the official unveiling of the new Krasnoff Theatre at the spectacular Tilles Center on the campus of LIU Long Island. To help usher in a new era with the Krasnoff Theatre as a space that was fully renovated and gutted from floor to ceiling, LIU brought in the remarkably talented musician and entertain extraordinaire, Jon Batiste. Since I don't stay up late on weeknights, I wasn't familiar with his talents, as seen nightly on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." Batiste is a masterful musician with degrees from Julliard and he made the theater's newly minted Steinway piano keys come alive. He also lit up the audience as I've never seen before, literally jumping into the crowd and getting us all singing in a three-part harmony. He truly blew me away with his talents. READ THE FULL QNS ARTICLE

World-famous musician JON BATISTE has paid tribute to SONIC THE HEDGEHOG on his newest album, HOLLYWOOD AFRICANS. Batiste, an American musician known for being the lead performer of his band, Stay Human, the house band for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert happens to love everybody's favorite blue hedgehog. On top of that, he is the Music Director of The Atlantic and the Creative Director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, New York but, y'know, let's talk about that whole Sonic thing. The soundtrack for Sonic the Hedgehog is iconic, alongside the likes of The Legend of Zelda and Pokemon. So much so, that Batiste's new album features a song called "Green Hill Zone," which is the theme from the first level of Sonic the Hedgehog. You can listen to the track on Spotify here. READ THE FULL GAMEREVOLUTION ARTICLE

Award-winning producers Barbara and Alan D. Marks (of "Dear Evan Hansen" and "The Encounter") will present an artistic near-antipode to Basquiat's debut: an original Broadway musical. Having received an okay from the late artist's estate, the project is set to feature music and lyrics from Jon Batiste of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." Tony Award-winning director John Doyle, famous for his productions of "Sweeney Todd" and "The Color Purple," will direct the show. The production crew will have ready access to Basquiat's art and personal archives. The show is in capable hands, and popularizing the subject's story is valuable. Born and raised in Brooklyn, an anchor of contemporary art, Jean Michel-Basquiat used to sign his pieces SAMO©. The alias originally stood for "same old shit." SAMO© was Basquiat's first art project. He started it with artist Al Diaz, whom he met in high school, and artist Shannon Dawson. The group dominated the New York City graffiti movement in the '70s and '80s. They mainly painted SoHo and the Lower East Side with maxims about "THE SO-CALLED AVANT GARDE," "MASS MEDIA MINDWASH" and the drudgery of "9-5, WENT 2 COLLEGE, NOT 2NITE HONEY BLUES." They told jokes and issued their frustrations with contemporary society. Short and biting, maybe childish, their graffiti covered politics, religion and pop culture, even the surge of artists into SoHo, in the vein of the angsty teen. Basquiat and Diaz inspired copycat artists and pervaded the culture of their canvas, which was starting to retire punk by the end of the '70s. Self-described concept artist Henry Flynt, who photographed several of the group's messages, wrote an essay describing the cultural milieu of New York at the time: "The so-called avant-garde had become a formidable, lucrative, orthodox institution-in which supercilious barrenness was the reigning fashion. By the end of the Seventies, Punk broadened into a crossover culture called New Wave. The Seventies narcissists began to metamorphose into Yuppies." (Slideshare, "Viewing SAMO©," 1993/1997.) READ THE FULL Miscellany News ARTICLE

Louisiana local Jon Batiste brings his roots to the front as he plays his piano and sings in a variety of settings for this well produced album. His touch on the piano is filled with Louisiana Red Clay, as on the full fisted 8 to the bar " Kenner Boogie" is genteel and whimsical while striding through "Green Hill Zone" and a gloriously ragtime'd "Nocturne No. 1 in D Minor." Even his solo read of "Smile" includes a dash of 33 1/3 rpm vinyl hiss for extra effect, while he is comfy and churchy on " What A Wonderful World." READ THE FULL Jazz Weekly REVIEW p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060}

Jon Batiste, the bandleader for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, took centerstage on the program Wednesday night, when he performed a couple of songs from his upcoming Hollywood Africans LP, out Friday. For the soulful ballad "Don't Stop," the first song he performed, he played a moody line on a grand piano and sang tenderly about being in love. The room was darkened to match the mood of the song, and he also got a little accompaniment from an orchestral ensemble. Before the performance, he explains how Hollywood Africans – which borrows its title from a painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat, an artist whose story he's bringing to Broadway – came to be. "T. Bone Burnett and I produced it together in a church that was converted into a studio in my hometown in New Orleans," he said. "The piano was in the middle of the room and we cut the lights out. [It was] completely pitch black for about three days, and I just tried to channel the heroes, you know, Nina Simone, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, through the instrument and become vulnerable in the room and let my truth come out of the instrument." p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px} span.Apple-tab-span {white-space:pre} READ THE FULL RollingStone ARTICLE & WATCH THE VIDEO

Jon Batiste makes some of TV's best music, night in and night out. As bandleader of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, the multi-instrumentalist comes up with perfect tunes to introduce guests, to complement Colbert's jokes, and to keep the audience hyped up. (Many of the songs fitting that last category are Batiste originals, performed by him and his band, Stay Human.) But Batiste's career stretches far beyond late-night TV. He started out making music at a very young age in his hometown of Kenner, Louisiana, and since then, he's recorded a whole album in and around the New York subway system, performed all over the world, and appeared semi-regularly on HBO's series Treme. His newest album, Hollywood Africans (out Thursday, September 28), is a combination of Batiste originals and terrific covers of iconic songs that he's put his own spin on, including "What a Wonderful World," Charlie Chaplin's "Smile," and the music from the first level of Sonic the Hedgehog. I was thrilled to have Batiste join me this week on the latest episode of my podcast, I Think You're Interesting, and about halfway through our conversation, I realized something: For as much as I've covered late-night TV over the years, I have no idea what goes into a late-night musical director's job. So I asked Batiste, and it sounds like a lot of work. READ THE Q&A