Jon Batiste is a genre-bending jazz musician, singer and composer. Born into a family of professional musicians in Louisiana, Batiste plays the melodica (shown in the image) and several other instruments, including the piano, organ and upright bass.
He performed at the 2022 White House state dinner that fêted French President Emmanuel Macron and Macron’s wife, Brigitte.
He’s also recorded and performed with many well-known artists, including Stevie Wonder and Willie Nelson. In 2022, Batiste, then 35, won five Grammy Awards, one for best album for his release titled We Are.
Earlier, Batiste and two others won an Academy Award for the score of the animated movie Soul, popular with audiences of all ages. And Batiste has appeared on Sesame Street, bringing jazz to the next generation of music lovers.
