Of course, Batiste always seems to be smiling. His effervescence helped propel him to global fame as bandleader/cohort on Late Night With Stephen Colbert from its start in 2015 to August 2022, when he left to focus on his own projects. Well, that and his prodigious musical talents and scope as he’s showcased his vast, ever-expanding universe of soul, R&B, pop, jazz and classical.