Jon Batiste: podcast appearances and interviews

Jonathan Michael Batiste, born on November 11, 1986, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, bandleader, television personality, and actor. He has collaborated with a diverse range of artists including Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Willie Nelson, Doja Cat, Lenny Kravitz, ASAP Rocky, Ed Sheeran, Lana Del Rey, Roy Hargrove, Juvenile, Mavis Staples, and Lauryn Hill. Batiste was the bandleader and musical director on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, appearing nightly with his band Stay Human from 2015 to 2022. Additionally, he serves as the music director of The Atlantic and the Creative Director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. His work includes co-composing the score for the Pixar animated film Soul in 2020, which earned him an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, and a BAFTA Film Award, shared with co-composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Batiste has received eight Grammy Awards from twenty-five nominations, including an Album of the Year award for his album We Are in 2021. In 2023, he was featured in the documentary film American Symphony, which chronicles the process of composing his first symphony. In 2024, Batiste appeared in the ensemble comedy-drama film Saturday Night, directed by Jason Reitman, portraying musician Billy Preston and also composing the film's score.