Jonathan Batiste, like his music, is an artist that cannot be put in a box. His life has been an exercise in the unusual, with him constantly trying to expand the limits of his creative expression.
So it did not come as a surprise when his colorful performance of his song, Freedom, at the Grammy’s, which started with a solemn piano solo, suddenly went wild.
The electrifying performance ended with Batiste standing on one of the chairs in the audience after treating the crowd to a mini version of his signature flash-mob style musical parades, which he calls love riots.
Minutes later, Batiste won the Grammy for Album of the year.
The New-Orleans born and raised multi- instrumental musician has a long list of achievements: two degrees from Julliard, a cast member on the Emmy-nominated HBO show Treme, artistic director at large of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, and until recently, musical director of Late Night With Stephen Colbert, and Golden Globe and Oscar winner.
This year, he added 11 Grammy nominations across the musical categories of R&B, American Roots, Classical, Jazz, and Visual media, along with five wins to his list of accomplishments.
The Heir to a Musical Heritage
Jonathan Batiste was born into a historical New Orleans musical family that included musicians like Alvin Batiste and Russel Batiste.
Growing up, Batiste was multitalented, dabbling in visual arts, sports, and music. At some point, he even wanted to be an astronaut.
Nevertheless, by the time he was seven, he settled on music as his primary talent, following in the family tradition.
Batiste began his music career at that tender age by playing the drums for the family band. In his early teens, he switched to playing the piano.
However, he didn’t take his piano playing seriously until he started attending the New Orleans Centre for Creative Arts.
When he turned 17, Batiste moved to New York to attend The Juilliard School, one of America’s most prestigious music conservatories and performing art academies.
In opposition to the elitist nature of Juilliard, Batiste and a group of friends from school formed the Stay Human band and started performing on the New York subway in an effort to reach people who might not have access to their music. This gave birth to what he now calls his “love riots.”
Batiste and his friends strongly believed their music should be shared with as many people as possible, not just in concert halls or Jazz bars.
“I started Stay Human in 2011 with the idea that we really just wanted to give access to music in the way that early music, the root music of early America and the root music of any tradition, really started—in the community. People having music as something that was part of the fabric of everyday life, not something that was sold or marketed in a certain kind of way,” he said in an interview with the Gothamist.
At first, the passengers were reluctant to engage with them, thinking they were just doing it for money. However, when the group did not pass a bowl for collection, the passengers started to participate enthusiastically. These performances were so good that Batiste eventually recorded a live E.P. on the subway.
The Late Show
In 2014, Batiste had an interview with The Colbert Report to promote his new album, Social Music. This memorable interview ended with Batiste leading the audience out of the studio and into the streets of Manhattan in his signature love riot performances.
After the interview, Batiste immediately hit things off with Stephen Colbert, and they became good friends.
When Stephen wanted to start his new late-night show, he decided to bring on Batiste and his Stay Human band to be the official band of the show.
Batiste’s charisma and musical genius, combined with that of the band, introduced a new dimension to late-night television.
The Late Show gig introduced Batiste to wider public consciousness while helping him to learn the intimate workings of the American entertainment industry.
He also unlocked a new level of his craft while performing the over 100 original compositions he made for the show or covers of popular songs.
Batiste managed to capture the atmosphere in the studio and transmit it to millions of TV viewers, making them feel as if they were part of a delirious crowd at a Jazz festival.
Apart from the regular performances at the late show, Batiste continued to record and release albums in his spare time.
In 2020, as the world went into lockdown, Batiste decided to take advantage of the extra time and got very busy.
He completed a musical, composed the musical score for Pixar’s Soul, and wrapped up the recording of his award-winning album, We Are. The album is a mind-blowing blend of R&B, Rock, Jazz, and Hip-hop.
It was inspired by personal experiences from Batiste’s childhood in New Orleans to reaching adulthood in New York as a jazz musician while also echoing the voice of the black community during the 2020 Black lives matter protests.
The product of all these experiences is a body of work that Batiste describes as “genreless.”
“I think a lot of the music that we make fits into genres, and I wanted to make music that was not going based on that system, and just music that existed, how I heard it, and this music is a representation of genreless music that’s just about the story, and it’s not trying to fit into any box or anything like that,” Batiste shared.
In August this year, Stephen Colbert announced that Batiste was leaving The Late Show to focus on sharing more of his art with the world, a move not out of character for Batiste.
Earlier in an interview with the New York Magazine, he said he might not be a musician for the rest of his life.
”I could see myself doing a lot of different things. I’m not one of these people who is set on defining myself via a profession,” he shared.
This is no surprise to his fans, as Batiste’s versatility makes him unique. One could not expect him to remain in the role the show had cast for him forever. but what is certain is that in his new endeavors, he will bring the same excellence that has come to be associated with his time at The Late Show.
Nevertheless, what is certain is that in his new endeavors, he will bring the same excellence that has come to be associated with his time at The Late Show.
