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Hey everybody, you're listening to the

0:35

Late Show The Late Show I'm here show. I'm

0:37

here joined by Hi Stephen. Colbert. Becca. I'm

0:39

joined here by my producer, Becca. my

0:41

producer, are we doing today? we What doing

0:43

is this? episode is is This is going to

0:45

be a really nice extended interview

0:47

with our great friend of the show.

0:49

the show, Jean Batiste. Oh, that's fantastic. This

0:51

is This is when it was just on? This

0:53

is when he was just just lovely

0:55

lovely interview. interview. Love John nice So nice

0:58

nice see him again him again. know the nice thing

1:00

was that I saw was saw I he was doing I

1:02

saw him when he was a song a us that you'll see

1:04

he know, you'll see on the show in January you'll

1:06

see, you know, you'll see on said like hey, man I saw him

1:08

and he said like, hey, man, I the vibe

1:10

in here. It just feels all the same,

1:12

know, you know? you know, you know, you know, like, I like,

1:14

like, like, like, like, the company of all these

1:16

people and how and how getting crazy and

1:18

crazy out here, but it's in here, and

1:20

all still feels good. in here that was really,

1:22

that was really nice that I got a

1:25

lot of very good vibe hits from

1:27

him very good the years, you know, I feel

1:29

good, I feel free, I feel fine I

1:31

being me, I feel good today, I which

1:33

we sang every night after the show

1:35

for like nine months when we first started.

1:37

we first was kind of like was of. of

1:39

like this sort of post hoc benediction

1:42

we would do would do every night on the show try

1:44

try to like keep going because that was was

1:46

was hard to switch over to show. over

1:48

he was and he part of a big part of that

1:50

positivity you need to keep going when

1:52

you're trying to find your feet. when you're

1:54

trying to find your feet. Anyway, blessing to know I'm

1:56

wonderful to have him back on the

1:59

show. on the show. Yeah. Thanks, John. Thanks

2:01

for coming. Enjoy this extended

2:03

podcast with our good friend,

2:05

John Batisse. Hey, everybody, welcome

2:07

back! Oh, ladies and gentlemen!

2:09

I'm so happy to say

2:11

that my next guest tonight

2:13

is an Oscar and Grammy

2:15

award-winning artist and an old

2:17

friend of ours. He's just

2:19

released a new album, Beethoven

2:21

Blues, and stars in the

2:23

movie Saturday Night, which he

2:25

also wrote the score for.

2:28

Please welcome back to the

2:30

late show. John Battis. Good

2:32

to see again. Good to

2:34

see again. Come back in

2:36

the saddle, we all the

2:38

way in there. Where is

2:40

my horse? Yeah. Okay, you've

2:42

been keeping busy. Yeah, we

2:44

haven't talked a little bit

2:46

here. You've been keeping busy

2:48

You had a big year

2:50

in the past year you

2:52

performed the Oscars collaborated with

2:54

Beyonce a Headlines your first

2:56

concert tour went tonight jury

2:58

with Bill Gates got nominated

3:00

for two Grammys released your

3:02

new classical album and created

3:05

the film score for Saturday

3:07

night, which you are also

3:09

in and it's just recently

3:11

been announced that you will

3:13

be singing the national anthem

3:15

at the Super Bowl in

3:17

New Orleans Do

3:19

you care to take a breath? Do

3:22

you care to take a breath? Oh

3:24

my goodness. It's abundance. You know, I

3:26

learned this from Quincy Jones. Late Quincy

3:29

Jones. He said one time, you know,

3:31

live every day like it's your last.

3:33

And one day you'll be right. Wow.

3:35

And that made me feel like in

3:38

the season when it's happening. Like, hey,

3:40

well, the sun shines. Yeah, and then,

3:42

you know what? After this year, I

3:45

did enough for about three years, so

3:47

I think I'm gonna take a long

3:49

break and y'all might not see me

3:51

for a while. Well, everybody

3:54

needs to restore. You've

3:56

said that music

3:58

has the power to

4:00

heal. to the last

4:03

time music healed

4:05

you? music healed you. Well, Randy

4:07

Travis. We were talking about Randy backstage.

4:09

about Randy Travis. I love I love Randy Have

4:11

you always Have you always loved Randy

4:13

a that a new thing? know, You

4:15

know, guilty a guilty pleasure, actually. now

4:17

it's now it's not a guilty

4:19

pleasure because I'm all all about it.

4:22

it. when I was listening listening of

4:24

the Travis You Yeah, I came

4:26

out of the closet, baby. baby. But I

4:28

was, was, you know, when you study

4:30

there's a a strong thing of to the

4:32

to the music, being serious about

4:34

the music. music. you know, you know,

4:36

days, I mean, I just listen

4:38

to everything and to everything is I believe

4:40

everything is I listen to Randy Travis, I don't

4:42

think about it like I'm listening to the country.

4:44

I'm just listening to a it heart. I'm listening

4:46

to a Yeah. heart. Yeah. My

4:49

love is deeper than than

4:51

the holler. another another Randy Travis.

4:53

You you got you know about the Randy,

4:55

huh? Yeah! Yeah, yeah, yeah. But here's the thing is

4:57

yeah, I yeah! But here's

4:59

the thing. to that my love to

5:01

have my love as deeper than

5:03

holler of admit. Oh wow, what did did you

5:05

get that I got it at the

5:08

Randy Travis Travis gift Nashville, Tennessee in

5:10

when I was young and on

5:12

tour. Oh was young and to tour. used

5:14

to bring home that's a mitts I odd

5:16

places. home oven mitts many do you

5:19

have? Wow, so old girlfriend

5:21

took them all. took

5:23

them all. Oh. Yeah. Wow. Too much pain.

5:25

much pain. is painful. I had memory. the I

5:27

had to let them. There's no

5:29

amount amount that'll save you from

5:31

that burn. save you from that burn. Right. Yeah, Joe how

5:34

are you, y'all? You had an experience this year that not

5:36

You had an experience this year

5:38

that not many people get to

5:40

have. you got year you you to... Well,

5:42

you collaborated with on our album, Cowboy

5:45

Carter. What was it like working

5:47

with her? Had you met her

5:49

before? with her? Had you I met

5:51

her before. I I had a very

5:53

had a very awkward, gloriously

5:55

awkward experience meeting her. before before

5:57

we work together. about years.

6:00

before we worked together. And, you know, I

6:02

was practicing the piano and sometimes I'd go

6:04

into this trance and let's just say I

6:06

was wearing some sweats that I maybe had

6:08

on for three days. Let's not judge. And,

6:11

you know, you get into a trance, you play and then

6:13

you get to the point where, you know, you got to get

6:15

out of there because you don't know how many hours have

6:17

passed. I had to get some fresh air. So I went up

6:19

the street. I was living around the area right here. There's

6:21

a concert up the street. think it was Lincoln Center. I

6:24

called the cats over there. I street. know

6:26

the door cats. And I said, can I

6:28

come, just check something out for some inspiration,

6:30

some vibe. I went to the concert and

6:32

I was side stage right in the nook.

6:34

And I was looking at the concert and

6:36

I got there late. So it was like

6:38

the last song and then the encore happened.

6:41

And before the encore happened, who comes just

6:43

looking like a billion dollars into the nook? Ms.

6:46

Carter. I see her and she's

6:48

there. Bea is, she just looks like

6:50

she could be going to the

6:52

Met Gala. And I'm in the sweats.

6:54

The three -day sweats. Yes, her the

6:57

three -day sweats. And I realize, you

6:59

know, I'm just now clocking the fact

7:01

that I have a musk on

7:03

my body. That's like, it's like the

7:05

Charlie Brown, the cloud. Yeah, yeah,

7:07

pig pen. Oh my God, pig pen.

7:09

Yeah, so I'm pig penning all

7:12

the way. And we've met each other

7:14

a few times before that. And

7:16

she comes, so she comes right in

7:18

for the hug and I can't

7:20

warn her. I'm not going to be

7:22

like, no, no. But at the

7:24

same time, I'm like, no, no. So

7:27

then she comes in and I

7:29

know it. I never have mentioned it

7:31

to her, I'd ask her, but

7:33

I know that you could feel when

7:35

your musk goes forward. And you

7:37

know it captures someone. And

7:40

she got it all. And

7:43

then I thought to myself, I

7:45

hugged her. said, man, I done fumigated

7:47

the queen. That's

7:51

a lasting impression. She's not

7:53

going to forget. So

7:57

in November, this past November,

7:59

you were. a a new classical

8:01

album. Here it is, it is, Beethoven Blues,

8:03

in which which you put your own

8:05

spin on Beethoven. Okay, Okay, everybody knows

8:07

Beethoven. Were you always a Beethoven

8:09

fan? fan? You know, I didn't really like

8:12

Beethoven at first. at first. What did you

8:14

you have against Ludwig Ludovic Van. Look, know know,

8:16

Unimpeachably great was a vessel for the

8:18

a vessel for the But when I was a

8:20

kid he was the person that I

8:22

had to practice I music and and

8:24

learn how to that I you know, to

8:26

these piano lessons music, their music, and learn how to, So I would

8:28

look at the music, and for and for a

8:30

long time, I didn't really know how to

8:32

read music. play would play Shirley would Shirley would

8:34

play. it I'd just play it back. And I

8:36

didn't know that was, I know I'm to be able

8:39

to just play it back. it back, but I'd be

8:41

playing it back, looking at the music, acting

8:43

like I was reading it. I was reading then

8:45

what I ended up doing is I would

8:47

take the music, that he was, that he was, and I'd

8:49

be in written in our being with, I would change would

8:51

change things. I would add things to it. to

8:53

it. And then I realized

8:55

that that's very frowned upon. very

8:57

frowned things to Beethoven. I'm... Adding things

9:00

to you know, mixed up

9:02

Mozart. Yes. But Mozart. Mixed up Mozart. Mixed up

9:04

Mozart. Chopin. Chopin the Beethoven. There

9:06

you go. There you But you

9:08

know what? It's been what? years

9:11

it's due for an update.

9:13

an update. Well I've heard I've heard

9:15

some of it. beautiful. it. Thank

9:18

you. Thank you. Truly, you

9:20

know, music is everything in the

9:22

public domain, especially especially down

9:24

in New Orleans, with it, in it

9:27

and you add to it, and

9:29

it won't revoke anything that exists. won't It's

9:31

only add to the continuum of

9:33

human creativity, only adding to the Other voices.

9:36

of human creativity, baby.

9:38

Other voices, other hands?

9:40

Yes. You were a band that you're for

9:42

seven years. Now Now, in

9:44

the film. film. Saturday night.

9:46

Yes. That was, that just came this fall. You

9:48

play came out this fall,

9:50

Yes. you you are. Preston. Yes,

9:52

here you are. Billy

9:54

Billy. Billy Preston. Extraordinary. extraordinary

9:56

man of his own right.

9:58

man of his own right. Did you ever

10:00

see the Beatles documentary? Oh, get that

10:03

Peter Jackson put together. That moment when

10:05

Billy Preston, because they're all bumping up

10:07

against each other and there's not, let's

10:09

say hostility, but there's a lot of

10:11

feelings in the room that aren't being

10:14

expressed and they aren't necessarily about the

10:16

music. The creative process. Yes, exactly. The

10:18

management, not necessarily the music. And Billy

10:20

Preston walks in, and you see oxygen

10:22

come into the room. Yeah. You see

10:25

they're all on their best behavior and

10:27

they're all just thinking about the music

10:29

and they kind of want to be

10:31

good for him. Can one person make

10:33

that much of a difference in the

10:35

room? And for you, who would that

10:38

be? Who would you want to have

10:40

in the room more than anyone else

10:42

to put you in the best head

10:44

you can to create? Well, one person

10:46

can make that much of a difference.

10:49

It's like any team, there's something, even

10:51

if it's not the best player on

10:53

a basketball court or somebody who's just

10:55

not really considered to be the best

10:57

in the world, but they have the

11:00

best energy and it just... It lifts

11:02

everything. And Billy was also one of

11:04

the best. I mean, you don't play

11:06

for Ray Charles and Sly Stone, all

11:08

the people he played for and played

11:10

his own music and not be great.

11:13

But for me, that person, you know,

11:15

I've been blessed in the last couple

11:17

months to be regularly working with Stevie

11:19

Wonder. You know him very well. I'm

11:21

getting you know I do not know

11:24

him very well, but I would like

11:26

we have the same birthday And I

11:28

have interviewed him and let's leave it

11:30

at that. Yes But and I thought

11:32

I knew right because you listened to

11:35

the music You know the music like

11:37

the music is with you. But man

11:39

when you see a vessel like that

11:41

up close at the this point in

11:43

the journey and you see how to

11:45

process everything, there's like shortcuts to just

11:48

get right to it. And the energy

11:50

of really being a human being and

11:52

an artist as one, synthesize as one.

11:54

It's not like a separate, your life

11:56

and your values aligned with your art.

11:59

Something like that. that,

12:01

you feel that before they even they the

12:03

instrument. touch the they just come into the room you like.

12:05

come Okay, this is sacred, this is serious.

12:07

Let's go. this is sacred, this

12:09

is That sounds beautiful. let's go. Mm-hmm.

12:11

That sounds beautiful. It

12:13

is. It's like, it's almost like he's,

12:16

um... It almost like he's, he's not...

12:18

he doesn't exist not plane.

12:21

A lot doesn't exist in this get A lot

12:23

of folks, when they get into a zone,

12:25

I mean, everybody on that bandstand over there. there.

12:27

I've heard at some point. point... going

12:29

to a space. You know, I've been know, I've

12:31

been playing with Joe for

12:33

years. years. Cato one of the best

12:35

musicians in the world. He in

12:37

the go He can go into India, Owens, Detroit, Nega,

12:39

in Detroit, I mean, Fuchs, we grew up together.

12:41

I mean, I mean, idea, you we grew up

12:43

together. I mean, just the idea, you know,

12:45

when somebody goes into that space. that

12:48

you learned, all the forgot everything that

12:50

you learned. not about any the technique, It's

12:52

all the theory is not about any of

12:54

that. It's not even about the instrument

12:56

or music. It's almost just like talking in

12:58

some kind of way. of fused. to

13:00

the thing the the instrument

13:02

becomes you and I believe it's just

13:04

the believe of God voice of God that

13:06

comes out. you hear when you hear

13:08

that, it's undeniable. And some people are

13:11

just in that flow. more than

13:13

more than others. They're just like always in

13:15

it. it's It's like when you talk

13:17

on the phone, you on the phone you call them

13:19

the phone. was And then he just

13:21

started singing. the He just woke up. I'm

13:23

like, how you sound like that? he just

13:25

Stevie? up I'm yeah. how you sound like that? That's

13:27

an example. You don't even have to

13:29

try. It's not thought at the certain point.

13:31

a certain point. Well, it's really lovely to see

13:33

you again. You know, we when when we

13:35

can, and it's always like jumping straight back

13:37

into the same conversation, often about things like

13:39

this. I know, we got it things a

13:41

wonderful person. You would go deep real

13:43

fast. person. You would go deep real fast. But thing, we miss

13:45

you this year. For the first time

13:48

in many, many years, you weren't able to

13:50

join us for Thanksgiving dinner. And every

13:52

year we do predictions. us for Do you have

13:54

a prediction for next year? I I

13:56

predict people will

13:58

will fall in love. and I and

14:00

I predict that new life

14:03

will emerge in many forms.

14:05

And I believe that to be

14:08

true. a Can I make a prediction?

14:10

What's that? More More music with with

14:12

John Battiste. Me and you. Thank you for Me and

14:14

you. Me and you. Show Pod Show with

14:16

Stephen Thank you for listening to more

14:18

thing. with you want to Just one more

14:21

thing. If you want to see

14:23

more of me, come to the

14:25

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