For seven years, Jon Batiste watched Stephen Colbert lead The Late Show night after night. The musician began serving as bandleader on the series with his house band Stay Human in 2015 and held the position through 2022. Now, Colbert is on his way out, too, following the cancellation of …
Read More »Jon Batiste Makes 'Americana Blues Statement' on Rootsy New Album 'Big Money'
As a teenage musician, Jon Batiste used to call himself “a new-age blues artist.” Now, many genre-jumps later, he’s taking a deeply enjoyable left turn towards roots music on his seventh studio album, Aug. 22’s Big Money — and reminding the world he’s always been a bluesman at heart. “I’m …
Read More »Jon Batiste Promises 'Liberating and Unforgettable' Shows on His Big Money Tour
Jon Batiste is ready to bring his new music on the road. On Thursday, the prolific musician announced a 33-date North American The Big Money Tour this fall to celebrate his forthcoming album. “At the heart of what I’m about is representing the cultural music I come from and taking …
Read More »Jon Batiste's Jazz Festival is a Tribute to the Magic of Quincy Jones
For two weeks every summer in Switzerland, the shores of Lake Geneva metamorphosize into a stage for the Montreux Jazz Festival. Since its inception in 1967 by founder Claude Nobs, the likes of Etta James, Kendrick Lamar, Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Aretha Franklin, …
Read More »Jon Batiste Announces 'Deeply Personal' Maestro Tour Following Super Bowl Anthem
After taking the stage at the theSuper BowlLIX last weekend to deliver a historic rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Jon Batiste announced his upcoming Maestro Tour. The limited-run of intimate concerts is set to make stops at celebrated venues across North America, including a two-show stop at the Metropolitan Opera …
Read More »Jon Batiste on His Super Bowl Performance and How Music Can Transcend America's Divide
When Jon Batiste performed the national anthem in front of millions of Americans watching the Super Bowl LIX broadcast from New Orleans’ Superdome, he paid homage to generations both past and present on the hallowed stage. For the first time in the NFL’s championship history, Batiste weaved a sample into …
Read More »Jon Batiste Brought a Modern Spin to the National Anthem at Super Bowl 2025
Jon Batiste kickstarted Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, opening with the National Anthem at Caesars Super Dome in New Orleans. Batiste’s performance brought an innovative spin on the time-honored classic, incorporating a drum sample towards the song’s close, a Super Bowl first. …
Read More »Joni Mitchell Brings Classics and Deep Cuts to Triumphant Hollywood Bowl Concert
The moon is shining bright over the Hollywood Bowl and Joni Mitchell lets out a laugh. It’s the first of two sold-out Joni Jam concerts at the outdoor venue, her first headlining concert in Los Angeles in over 24 years; a couple years since Mitchell returned to the stage at …
Read More »Jon Batiste on Scoring 'Saturday Night' – and Lending 'Divine Intervention' to 'Cowboy Carter'
Genre-hopping musician Jon Batiste started off his busy year with an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song, before popping up as a collaborator on Beyoncé‘s Cowboy Carter —and now he’s pulling double duty on the new movie Saturday Night, composing its score and playing the late musician Billy Preston. The …
Read More »A$AP Rocky Teams Up With Jessica Pratt for Genre-Spanning Single 'Highjack'
A$AP Rocky has dropped a new single, “Highjack,” featuring Los Angeles folk-pop musician Jessica Pratt. The track was produced by Greg Kurstin, Hitkidd, Jordan Patrick, and Zach Fogarty, and has background vocals from Creed B Good and Jon Batiste. The song will appear on the rapper’s forthcoming LP, Don’t Be …
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