JON BATISTE CROWNS STELLAR AWARDS SEASON WITH AN OSCAR FOR SOULACCLAIMED JAZZ MUSICIAN WINS OVER 35 AWARDS FOR HIS WORK ON THE SCORE FOR DISNEY AND PIXAR’S HIT FILM INCLUDING A BAFTA AND GOLDEN GLOBESCORE RECORDED IN BETWEEN SESSIONS FOR HIS LATEST ALBUM WE AREPHOTO: L-R: Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor, Atticus RossOFFICIAL PRESS RELEASENEWS PROVIDED BY Universal Music Canada 26 APRIL 2021 (TORONTO, ON) - Celebrated international musician and composer Jon Batiste has topped a hugely successful awards season with an Academy Award for Soul, winning Best Score for Disney and Pixar’s hit animated film. His jazz-infused score, created alongside the work of fellow musicians Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, has already picked up over 35 international accolades, including a BAFTA, Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice award. Collecting his trophy at the Los Angeles ceremony, Jon Batiste said: Not only did Batiste contribute music to Soul, which is about a teacher who dreams of being a jazz pianist, but his hands were also filmed at the keyboard as a reference to help Pixar’s animators create authentic musical performances for the lead character in the movie. Click BELOW to watch a short video to find more about how the soundtrack was created. In between sessions for Soul, Jon Batiste also recorded a brand-new studio album, WE ARE, which was released last month on Verve Records to critical acclaim. Vanity Fair described the album as “a vivid turn from straight jazz to joyful, danceable pop and neo-soul”, while Billboard called it “a delightful marriage of contemporary jazz melodies and slick pop”. WE ARE represents a completely new sonic chapter for Jon Batiste. He wrote and planned much of the project in about a week from his dressing room at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he’s the musical director and bandleader. The album was recorded in New York, Los Angeles and in his native New Orleans, melding inspiration from his new home and new collaborators with that of the Batiste musical dynasty. On WE ARE, Batiste presents a captivating musical experience to the world rooted in catharsis, joy, freedom, contemplation and sensuality. It’s a love letter to his southern roots and the heritage of Black Music with guest appearances by Mavis Staples, Quincy Jones, Zadie Smith, PJ Morton, Trombone Shorty, St Augustine Marching 100, his father Michael Batiste, grandfather David Gauthier and many more. It is a meditation steeped in the sounds of the times with collaborators including POMO (Anderson.Paak), Ricky Reed (Lizzo), Jahaan Sweet (Drake, Eminem) as well as songwriter Autumn Rowe and producer Kizzo. Batiste says, “WE ARE is a message of love for humanity, of humble reverence for our past, and of a hopeful future, in which we are the ones who can save us. The art reveals its motive to you. You just have to wait for the Spirit to tell you what it wants.” Watch the music video for “I NEED YOU” here. Full list of awards won for Soul music:
Source Universal Music Canada
April 26, 2021 12:01pm ET by Pressparty |