Jon Batiste Makes Triumphant Return To ‘The Late Show’

Multi-instrumentalist Jon Batiste came back to the Ed Sullivan Theater to appear on Tuesday’s episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Batiste’s first visit since stepping down as the program's bandleader saw him sit for an interview with host Stephen Colbert and perform two songs off his Gramy-nominated 2023 album World Music Radio.

Jon Batiste spent seven years serving as The Late Show’s bandleader and musical director from the program’s start in 2015 through August 2022. The New Orleans native released World Music Radio this past August. Batiste scored six 2024 Grammy nominations including Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year.

Batiste earned Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year nominations for World Music Radio cuts “Worship” and “Butterfly” respectively. The 37-year-old musician performed “Butterfly” on last night’s episode and “Worship” as a web exclusive.

Stephen Colbert’s talk with Jon Batiste focused on the highs and lows Batiste has experienced over recent years. While his music was greeted with massive commercial and critical success, his wife was diagnosed and treated for cancer. Batiste also composed his first symphony and ran into technical issues during its premiere at Carnegie Hall. The tumultuous time was documented in the Netflix documentary American Symphony.

Watch Jon Batiste’s performances and interview on last night’s Colbert below: