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For Jon Batiste, the thought of playing in the White House was a dream. But even after receiving the invitation from the first lady, he wasn’t sure he would accept. The main consideration for the 36-year-old musician was whether his wife Suleika Jaouad could be by his side. She is undergoing chemotherapy to treat leukemia; Her health was one of the main reasons Batiste made the decision earlier this year to retire as bandleader on Late Night with Stephen Colbert, a position he held for almost seven years. He wanted her by his side for this big moment. In the end, the virtuoso conductor was able to bring her nine other members of his extended family.
The event capped a momentous year for Batiste, in which he also took home five Grammys, including Album of the Year, in April. French President Emmanuel Macron broke into a huge grin at the White House on Thursday as Batiste incorporated the French national anthem into a jazz piano rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner.” And long after the C-SPAN cameras were rolled out, Batiste led the world leaders through the glass pavilion on the South Lawn in a second row, a New Orleans-style street party. Over the weekend, he spoke to The Post about his setlist and what it meant to perform at the White House.
Biden and Macron stand shoulder to shoulder at state dinner
So tell me how this started. What was your reaction when you got the call to perform the state dinner?
Oh I was so excited because I have so many public service connections in my family. My mother [Katherine Batiste] worked for the United States government as an environmentalist for almost four decades. And my grandfather [David Gautier] was an incredible activist. He headed the Louisiana Postal Workers Union and was the first wave to integrate the Navy during the Korean War during the Truman era. So I called her immediately.
My wife was in my living room when Dr. Biden called. She got on a plane and was so excited that she wanted to call me herself. I said, “Oh wow, hey Dr. Biden, Madam First Lady.” I said on that first call that I wanted to bring my whole family and I had to call my mom to see if she could wrangle the crew because we were 10. Then I called Dr. Biden back. and I said, “You know what? We can all do it. Can you accommodate us all for dinner?”
Did the first lady say why she chose you? I can see the French-American nature of New Orleans, and you come from a jazz family, an American art form.
Well, she mentioned first that she was a fan and that was nice. She said: “I’m a big fan of your music. I love what you represent beyond your music. And I think that you represent the country well.” That was particularly good to hear.
How did you decide what you would play? The White House only let the press stay for the first song and a half.
Oh man! Well, I was thinking about all of these connections as I was creating the setlist and then talking to my grandfather about who built the White House.
With who built it, you mean enslaved Americans?
Yes, we spoke about his history as a proud American and as someone who believes in the freedoms of democracy. All of that was great, super clear into context when we were in the White House talking about it.
I thought it would be great to start with an impressionistic piano version of “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, “Star Spangled Banner” and the French national anthem, all reinterpreted and in counterpoint to one another. I thought that would set the tone of this incredible possibility, but also speak to the history of America and the coming together that we represent at the highest level.
We did “Sunny Side of the Street,” something Louis Armstrong sang. It’s from the Great American Songbook and also gets a lot of plays and bangs in New Orleans [Jon’s father, Michael Batiste] would play.
And we did Cry, which I composed and was on We Are. It’s the blues and it has that weight of time and sense of heaviness that we had in that time. You know, in the blues tradition, screaming is a form of catharsis that I think is important. I did an arrangement for the President’s Navy Band. They had this chamber orchestra on stage playing all night and they killed, man.
Then we set out to end the set with “Freedom.” This is another song of mine. I told the audience, “We definitely can’t sit for the rest of this performance.”
I jumped into the crowd. And I walked over to Stephen [Colbert] and Stephen and I, we just did our thing. And then Julia Louis-Dreyfus was there and she was already dancing. This turned into a dance party.
And then I snuck into another one. I looked at President Joe Biden. I said, “Sorry, Mr. President, I have to play Saints Go Marching In.” Because we have so many people from Louisiana in the house. And they broke out the handkerchiefs and the second line.
“Saints” was kind of audible. My father sang with us. I set this up with the President’s Navy Band. They had the arrangement, but I didn’t know if I could get it in there.
You just glanced at President Biden to get the green light on a second line?
When we finished “Freedom” I looked at him and shrugged because he was just coming up to end the evening. People already had the handkerchief out, traditional for the New Orleans second line, to hold their handkerchief in the air. And he saw that at his table and said, “Well, go ahead.” Thumbs up.
Did he join the second line?
Yes! I jumped back into the crowd. I went over and gave him a high five and he did his thing. He didn’t have a handkerchief, but he was definitely part of the second line.
And Emmanuel Macron and Dr. Biden and Brigitte Macron?
Oh yeah. Emmanuel Macron is so, so cool. He grabbed my nephew Brennan who is 7 years old and he picked him up in the second row. And then after the second line was over he put him on the stage because he was 7 years old so he couldn’t overlook everyone. That was a great moment.
Suleika said this is her first public appearance in a year since her bone marrow transplant. Is she still getting chemo?
Yes, I’m still doing chemo. I mean, if you saw where we were in February and saw her in that dress… It was incredible for me to be a witness. I learn so much from her – she’s a superhero.
I mentioned [to Dr. Biden] that we had to have Kristen, Suleika’s nurse, and Julian from my team there. They made sure that every step of the way – in the car – I have my drivers tested and wear the mask. And we wear masks everywhere except at dinner and in the hotel. Even the folks at Four Seasons have been updated on room service and the precautions they are taking there.
What was going through your mind as you left the White House?
I was just so excited about what we had achieved. Musically, I feel like we showcased American music culture and also gave a lot of respect and homage to the French influence and New Orleans culture that’s just embedded in everything I do. Then just from the perspective of our country and what it means to be an artist and to be a person who represents the culture and what we mean when we say “the culture” and how we do things that our ancestors gave us left behind, to be able to continuously improve – that was also very difficult for me.
And I also felt that it was a great accomplishment for our family on several levels. You know, looking at my grandfather and my mother and even my nephews Braeden and Brennan and just thinking about what this moment will mean to them 10, 20 years from now.
That was a lot. I am so exhausted.
This interview has been edited and condensed for space and clarity.