In a video, Colbert reveals the news. “Hi I’m Stephen Colbert down in New Orleans, Louisiana,” he says in the video, “and people keep asking me who my bandleader’s gonna be, well I like this guy.”
Then out pops Batiste, who introduces himself before jamming on several instruments, including the piano.
So who is this new bandleader? According to CBS, Batiste is a musician and educator hailing from New Orleans. Along with his band, Stay Human, he’s played with Prince and Lenny Kravitz, among others. His latest studio album, Social Music, peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. He received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the famed Juilliard School in New York City.
In a statement, Colbert continued to gush about Batiste. “We are thrilled that Jon Batiste is joining The Late Show family of products. For my money, nobody plays like Jon Batiste. And you can trust me, because it is my money.”
Batiste added in a statement, “I’m thrilled! This is a match made in heaven. Get ready for a love riot in late night.”
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert premieres September 8 at 11:35 p.m. Eastern on CBS.
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