![]() They told me that when they started out in late-night they had already been on the road for 20 years. When I started doing the Late Show, Questlove, Paul Shaffer and Kevin Eubanks all gave me advice. Stephen has been incredible to work with. We began speaking over time and started talking about his new show and the rest is history. When we first met each other our energies immediately connected. I met him a year before we started on the Late Show when I performed at The Colbert Report in July of 2015. How did you first connect with Colbert and how has that experience been? In 2015, you began showing up in people’s homes five days a week as the bandleader and musical director of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. First, I thought of it as just a part of everyday life, everybody played music as a hobby, or just as a part of the culture, even if they weren’t professional musicians. This is a really special place.” So thinking that that was normal was a real influence on me because I didn’t think about music as a profession. And you travel the world and you realize, “Wow, there’s no place like this. Well, I grew up thinking that that was normal. How has the “Crescent City” inspired you as a musician and influenced your perspective on the world? It’s the epicenter of Blackness in America in a lot of ways. Music is everywhere and it’s transcendent.Īs we all know, New Orleans is unlike any city in the world. In New Orleans, we play music for a barbecue, when somebody passes away or when somebody is born. There wasn’t even a separation between the musicians and the community. That was just a normal thing to see and be a part of so that was a big influence because I looked at music as a part of the social fabric of the community. There are three or four generations of musicians in our family but there were a lot of musical families in New Orleans. Jon Batiste: You know, my family is very musical. What was it like being surrounded by so much music during your childhood? ![]() It’s almost like you were destined to be where you are today. I loved his music before this and that’s one of the reasons why I wanted to pay homage to him in his original music video.”ĮBONY caught up with Batiste who discussed the cultural uniqueness of New Orleans, working with his heroes and how music can change the world.ĮBONY: You grew up in a family full of amazing musicians. ![]() He shares, ”In thinking about this collaboration with Amazon and the way that Billy Ocean’s hybrid combined 80s new wave funk with a Caribbean influence that’s part of his lineage and his roots, and just the way he synthesized all that together was brilliant. Donning a Jheri curl and vintage 80’s outfit in the visual, Batiste reimagines Billy Ocean’s hit, “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car,” with his own “Get Into My Cart,” for the campaign. Moreover, he made it on to Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list this year.įor his latest project, Batiste has teamed up with Amazon for their Prime Day event. One of Batiste’s core beliefs is that music can help cure the ills of society and like all the musicians that inspired his artistry, he embodies the ideal of Black freedom.Īfter years of touring the world and compiling a highly regarded catalogue of music, in 2021, he released We Are, his magnum opus, to both critical and commercial acclaim, receiving eight Grammy nominations-going on to win four, including Album of the Year. In 2015, Batiste became the musical director of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and Stay Human became the house band.įor composing the score of Soul, Pixar’s first animated film featuring a Black lead, Batiste won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award and a BAFTA Film Award. ![]() He studied jazz at the prestigious Juilliard School and founded his band Stay Human which boasts some of the most renowned musicians in the world. As a bandleader, composer and master pianist-who hails from a long dynasty of master musicians-he has pushed the boundaries of jazz by incorporating elements of R&B, soul, funk and hip-hop into his productions.Īs a child prodigy, musical family’s background help influence his creative voice. The New Orleans native proudly carries the torch of the Black music tradition with dexterous musicality and a liberated spirit. Jon Batiste is an ambassador of Black Music. Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on Email
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