I was raised in the Catholic Church, and for me, the thought in the Bible and Christianity, and the spirit within that, is one of the guiding principles in my life. Jon Batiste biblecatholicchristianity Change image and share on social
I'm from New Orleans, which is all about direct engagement out in the street with all the parades and Mardi Gras Indians and jazz funerals. I'm trying to take that and put it into my generation, a group that doesn't have enough joy and celebration in their lives. Jon Batiste celebrationdirectengagement share on social
In the process of them developing this instrument, I've been playing the melodica in the style I would like the harmoniboard to be played, which is a mix between a harmonica and keyboard. I play with trumpet style techniques. I really like the mobility of being able to step off the piano and bring the music to the audience. Jon Batiste audiencebringdevelop share on social
Imagine if you grew up in a place where your lineage was there for a hundred years, and part of the culture was to play music 50 percent of the time. You'd probably have a lot of musicians in your family too. Jon Batiste culturefamilygrow share on social
It's not like the old competition that you had between Leno and Letterman. It's a friendly competition between Fallon and Stephen. Jon Batiste competitionfallonfriendly Change image and share on social
As far as music, Louis Armstrong is one of my heroes. Jon Batiste armstrongherolouis Change image and share on social
Jazz has a tradition that has enriched the culture in America. The intellectualism of it does nothing but make you think on a higher level and make you a better person if you engage in the music and let it do what it does when it is played at its highest level. Jon Batiste americacultureengage share on social
When the Beatles wrote 'Paperback Writer,' it couldn't have been the same old thing. You can hear so many influences in it, from the blues to Bach, and it's not just verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge chorus. They start off singing a cappella, almost like a Bach chorale, and the song goes into this bluesy guitar riff. Jon Batiste bachbeatlesblue share on social
I still consider myself to be introverted, but everyone has a side of themselves that is amplified. Performers have to learn to tap into that, even if it's not natural. Jon Batiste amplifyintrovertlearn Change image and share on social
There were so many people after that first 'Colbert Report' interview that were impressed by the synergy we had during the interview. People everywhere we'd go would say, 'You should be the bandleader; it would be great for jazz. It would be great for the music.' But I was completely against it. Jon Batiste bandleadercolbertcompletely share on social