Jon Batiste’s Best Musical Moments on ‘Colbert’ – Vulture

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Jon Batiste on The Late Show.
Photo: /Scott Kowalchyk/CBS

If you’re the kind of gambler who would somehow put money down on Jon Batiste getting the most Grammy nods in 2021, congratulations. The 35-year-old Louisiana native leads the way this year with 11 nominations, including Record of the Year for “Freedom,” Album of the Year for We Are, and recognition in the American roots, R&B, jazz, and soundtrack categories, the latter for his work on Pixar’s Soul.

If you’re unfamiliar with him, by now you’re probably thinking, This Jon Batiste fella must be pretty talented, huh? But if you’re even a casual viewer of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, you already know what’s up — that Batiste is a multifaceted entertainer and, to put it mildly, quite charming. Alongside his backing group, Stay Human, he’s served as the late-night show’s musical director since its debut in 2015, often appearing in segments and accompanying musical guests on top of his normal bandleader duties.

Assuming he wins at least one Grammy in January, Batiste will be halfway to an EGOT after winning the Best Original Score Oscar alongside Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for their work on Soul. Given his day job, we figure that the Colbert gig is his best bet to get an Emmy, and with that in mind, we’ve decided to look back on some of Batiste’s best musical moments on The Late Show. So settle in and enjoy some lessons in jazz, comedy bits, and a handful of ridiculous original songs with outfits to match.

“The Zelda Theme” (October 2015)

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Fun fact: Growing up in the suburbs of Louisiana, Batiste and his cousins would transcribe the music from their favorite video games, like Street Fighter II and Sonic the Hedgehog. To this day, he’s still an avid gamer with old-school consoles in his Late Show dressing room, which partly explains why he decided to cover the theme from this Nintendo classic in 2015.

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Source: https://www.vulture.com/article/jon-batiste-best-musical-moments-late-show-colbert.html