Grammy-winning songwriter and Oscar-winning composer, Jon Batiste, reflects on his legendary New Orleans music family, waging war against genres, and being featured in a Netflix documentary. He discusses his musical background, influences, experimentation, transition to TV, creating experimental and accessible music, and staying authentic amidst distractions.
John Batiste's unique musical style was shaped by a blend of video game music, New Orleans hip-hop, and avant-garde jazz.
Batiste's decision to join The Late Show as the band leader was a significant career transition that allowed him to balance his responsibilities while continuing to create music.
Despite personal challenges, including his wife's leukemia diagnosis, Batiste channeled his emotions into his work and found inspiration to continue creating music.
Deep dives
John Batiste's Musical Journey and Family Influence
John Batiste, a singer-songwriter, composer, and band leader, reflects on his musical journey and the influence of his family. Born to a bassist singer musician father and a non-musical mother who worked for the environmental protection agency, Batiste was exposed to music from a young age. He started performing at the age of nine and later focused on playing the piano. Growing up in New Orleans, he was influenced by a blend of video game music, New Orleans hip-hop, and avant-garde jazz. These various influences shaped his unique musical style.
Collaborating with Stephen Colbert and Becoming a Late Night Show Band Leader
After gaining recognition for his music, John Batiste was invited to appear on the Colbert Report. This led to a friendship with Stephen Colbert, who later asked Batiste to become the band leader of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Despite the pressure to sign with major record labels, Batiste declined, choosing instead to form his own band, Stay Human, and continue his unconventional performances known as 'love riots'. Batiste's decision to join The Late Show marked a significant career transition as he balanced his responsibilities as a late-night show band leader with his passion for creating music.
Scoring the Pixar Film 'Soul' and Overcoming Personal Challenges
John Batiste discusses his involvement in scoring the Pixar film 'Soul' and the personal challenges he faced during that time. Batiste collaborated with director Pete Docter to create the film's score, which incorporated jazz and reflected the film's exploration of a middle school teacher's dreams of becoming a professional jazz musician. In addition to his success with 'Soul', Batiste released his album 'Hollywood Africans' and faced personal challenges, including his wife's leukemia diagnosis. Despite these challenges, Batiste continued to create music and find inspiration, channeling his emotions into his work.
Summary of Main Ideas and Key Points
The podcast episode covers a range of topics, including the success of the movie 'Soul,' the creation of the film's score, the significance of winning awards, and the importance of staying true to oneself while navigating different musical scenes. The episode also delves into the creative process, improvisation in jazz, and the role of discipline and authenticity in one's musical journey.
Reflections on New York and LA
During the episode, the importance of maintaining one's identity and passion while transitioning from New York to Los Angeles is discussed. The guest emphasizes the value of focusing on what is personally important, staying disciplined, and not getting swayed by others' expectations. It is also mentioned that the energy and youthfulness of the New York music scene continue to play a significant role in the guest's music, despite physical distance from the city.
The Grammy-winning songwriter and Oscar-winning composer reflects on his legendary New Orleans music family, waging war against genres and being featured in and writing an original song that is now nominated for an Oscar, "It Never Went Away," for Matthew Heineman's Netflix documentary feature.
