Jon Batiste And Stay Human Create Social Music On October 15th

Hear First Track "Express Yourself (Say Yes)" At Blackbook: http://bit.ly/17hpOtA
 
“Jonathan Batiste has a natural entertainer's charisma and chops to match.” – NPR Music

“Batiste...won’t rest until [he’s] won you.” – NY Times

"Batiste struck the keys with the fluid dexterity of a man with music in his blood." - Urb

On October 15th, Jon Batiste and Stay Human will release their debut full-length album Social Music on Razor & Tie. Batiste—a bandleader, pianist, singer, songwriter, composer and descendant of New Orleans musical “royalty” (NY Times), —reinterprets American music, spearheading a revival that has something for almost everyone. “Talent ooz[es] from his fingertips,” says BlackBook as Jon “gives jazz a modern twist and urban flair.” Named "30 Under 30" most influential people in the art world (ArtInfo), "Jon Batiste embodies both the history and the future. His creative interpretations of classic sounds are thrilling," says Walter Isaacson the President of the Aspen Institute and former editor of TIME Magazine.

Produced by Jeff Jones “The Jedi Master” with Jon Batiste, Social Music reflects the dapper 26 year old’s evolution over the past several years. “This album documents the evolution of the band,” he says. With Batiste on piano, vocals and melodica, (which he has renamed the harmonaboard) and his band Stay Human—Eddie Barbash on alto saxophone; Ibanda Ruhumbika on tuba; and Joe Saylor on drums and tambourine—Social Music reflects an extraordinary range. On “D-Flat Movement,” the album’s opening track, you can hear Batiste elegantly dueting with the sounds of thunder. Meanwhile, “It’s Alright (Why You Gotta)” slinks along on a seductively funky cha-cha groove, while “Express Yourself” jitters on an infectious harmonaboard riff, its encouraging message balanced precariously all the while. Throughout the album, elements of jazz, Americana and classical music nuzzle up against beats that could light up a club dance floor, and standards like “St. James Infirmary” and “Naima’s Love Song” nestle in alongside spoken-word samples like “The Jazzman Speaks” (featuring the voice of jazz legend Jelly Roll Morton) and statements of spiritual yearning like “Let God Lead.” 

Batiste has defined a vision based on the most profound aspects of what has already been a rich artistic journey. He and his family are part of the inspiration for the HBO series Treme, in which Batiste has appeared. Over the last decade he has forged his own artistic path by indelibly fusing himself within the fabric of New York City culture. He graduated from the Juilliard School with a master’s degree and currently serves as the Artistic Director at Large of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem where he curates programming and educates audiences of all ages and backgrounds. He has collaborated with the likes of Prince, Cassandra Wilson, Lauryn Hill, Wynton Marsalis, Jimmy Buffet, Eve, Lenny Kravitz, ?uestlove, and Asher Roth and recorded extensively, most recently putting out the EP MY NY with Stay Human in 2011 which was recorded live in the subway system of Manhattan.

Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith says "Jon is the best thing to come outta Nawlins since The Po’boy sandwich." And as the New York Daily News puts it, “It’s almost impossible to hear and see Batiste in person and not smile.”

Jon Batiste and Stay Human 2013 Tour Dates:
9/27 Winthrop, WA — Winthrop Barn, Auditorium Association
10/3 Olympia, WA — Washington Center for Performing Arts
10/4 Seattle, WA — Neptune Theatre
10/5 Bellingham, WA — Mount Baker Theatre
10/9 Mesa, AZ — Virginia G. Piper Repertory Theatre, WAS Mesa Arts
10/12 New York, NY — Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall
10/15 Calgary, Canada — Jack Singer Concert Hall
10/18 Northridge, CA — Great Hall, Valley Performing Arts Center
10/19 Irvine, CA — Cheng Hall 
10/23 Carmel, CA — Sunset Theatre
10/24 Livermore, CA — Bankhead Theatre
10/26 Rohnert Park, CA — Weill Hall, Green Music Center
10/27 Stanford, CA — Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University 
11/1 Fort Collins, CO — Lincoln Center Performance Hall
11/2 Parker, CO — Parker Arts, Culture and Events Center
11/7 Tucson, AZ — Hotel Congress

Jon Batiste on the web:
http://jonbatiste.com/
https://www.facebook.com/JonBatisteMusic 
https://twitter.com/jonbatiste 
http://www.shorefire.com/clients/jbatiste/
 
For more information on Jon Batiste and Stay Human, please contact Andrea Bussell (abussell@shorefire.com) or Rebecca Shapiro (rshapiro@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media, 718.522.7171; or Kerri Brusca (kbrusca@razorandtie.com) at Razor and Tie, (212) 598 2255.