Jon Batiste

thumb Jonathan Michael Batiste (born November 11, 1986) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, bandleader, television personality and actor. Quotes Classical music is cool, but what if you took it and you expressed it in this way instead of the way that everybody says you should express it? It is a very group-think phenomenon that is divisive and it separates us, and that shouldn't extend to the arts. It shouldn't extend anywhere. But it's everywhere, as in our politics as a religion. And I just am like, man, why would we make the thing that is the universal language be trapped and boundaried and ismed to death? I almost didn't make it out of school because every other year they were trying to kick me out. They were like, 'What are you doing? Why are you playing the melodica with your band in the subway for people?' There was a lot of misunderstanding of my sort of precocious and questioning posture toward the administration and toward the classics. And then I moved to New York and I started hearing Thelonious Monk's music at jam sessions and I was like, 'Oh, wow, I'm trying to be able to play in a way that is very aligned to this music. Our understanding of music and our understanding of who we could be and who we actually are has limited us from knowing our history, And all of that is not a negative thing because then it just gives the opportunity for guys like me to come along… You've got to have people that are just like, 'Let me come in, let me carry the torch and spread the depth and the gifts that our ancestors have left us.' And do it with joy and passion. Jon Batiste shares a conversation with Mozart and Thelonious Monk in new albums;By Michel Martin on August 14, 2026 External links Category:Singers from the United States Category:Songwriters from the United States Category:Actors from Louisiana Category:Living people Category:1986 births Category:Juilliard School alumni Category:Music producers from the United States Category:Television personalities Category:African Americans Category:Pianists from the United States Category:Guitarists from the United States Category:Composers from the United States Category:Jazz musicians