Jon Batiste

Peerless artistry combined with the uplifting pleasure of entertainment exists squarely at the heart of Jon Batiste’s musical vision which he calls Social Music and is the title of the full length debut. With his soulful voice, virtuosic piano chops and dapper sense of style, Jon Batiste, 27, transcends music genres with his modern take on American music. Jon has absorbed a musical language that disregards genre distinctions - reviving the roots of jazz, blues and other American music yet playing it in a way that is fresh, accessible and engaging. Produced by Jeff Jones “The Jedi Master” with Jon Batiste, Social Music features Batiste on piano, vocals and melodica, (which he has renamed the harmonaboard) and his Julliard trained band Stay Human. Batiste has defined a vision based on what's already been a rich artistic journey. Born in New Orleans Jon is a descendant of New Orleans' musical "royalty" whose deep musical heritage is part of the inspiration for the HBO series Treme and in which he has appeared. He attended the prestigious New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) before moving to New York at 18 to attend Julliard receiving a Masters Degree in Music. Over the last decade he has forged his own artistic path by indelibly fusing himself within the fabric of New York City culture. He currently serves as the Artistic Director at Large of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem where he curates programming and educates audiences of all ages and backgrounds. He has collaborated with the likes of Prince, Cassandra Wilson, Lauryn Hill, Spike Lee, Wynton Marsalis, Jimmy Buffet, Eve, Lenny Kravitz, ?uestlove, and Asher Roth and recorded extensively, most recently putting out the EP MY NY with Stay Human in 2011 which was recorded live in the subway system of Manhattan. He is a "Movado Future Legend" award recipient and recently received the prestigious honor of Best New Artist at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. He has performed in over 40 countries, playing sold out shows in various venues from NYC, London and Paris to The Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center. Jon Batiste and Stay Human are currently touring the US and will be doing summer festivals in the US and in Europe in July.