Jonathan Batiste is currently the bandleader for Late Night with Stephen Colbert.
He is an iconic artist, unique in this generation. With his voice on piano and dapper sense of style, he has ignited the NYC music scene. He is from a celebrated lineage of musicians. He has performed in over 40 countries, has appeared in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Concertgebouw, has released several CD’s, among them “Times In New Orleans”, “Live In New York: At The Rubin Museum Of Art”, and “MY N.Y.”, and EP’s “The Amazing Jon Batiste EP” and “In The Night EP”. On T.V. he has been featured in the NBA All-Star Game Half-Time Show 2008, the HBO series “Treme”, and BET. He has collaborated with Wynton Marsalis, Prince, Jimmy Buffett, Harry Connick Jr, Roy Hargrove, Cassandra Wilson, The Gilt Groupe fashion line, and filmmaker Spike Lee among others. He is a “Movado Future Legend” award recipient and a “Steinway Performing Artist”.
As a role model, Batiste motivates the next generation of musicians. In his role as co-director and music curator at The National Jazz Museum in Harlem, he has programmed year-long educational workshops for hundreds of students. He is a traveling ambassador for the NY based non-profit organization “Music Unites” founded by Michelle Edgar. He collaborates on various projects with Edgar throughout the year dedicated to bringing music education to children. As an international educator and humanitarian, Batiste has conducted clinics and master classes worldwide.
Jonathan Batiste is the founder and leader of The Stay Human Band, a modern jazz ensemble noted for their world-class music, high energy and uplifting spirit.