Today, Jon Batiste and The Dap-Kings have announced that they’ll join forces this summer for a limited-run of festival appearances. Jon Batiste is the acclaimed musician who serves as the bandleader for Stay Human, the house band for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The Dap-Kings are a Brooklyn soul institution, best known for backing up legendary late singers Sharon Jones and Amy Winehouse and leading Daptone Records. Batiste, backed by the Dap-Kings, will play New Orleans-inspired soul music plus tunes by Allen Toussaint and more.
In a press release, Gabriel Roth from The Dap-Kings confirmed, “We are thrilled to be returning to the stage and could not have found a more fitting collaborator than Jon, with whom we share a deep love and respect for New Orleans musical roots. He’s a distinctly talented dude with a rare feel for that music, and we can’t wait to tear up these tunes together.”
Batiste added, “Thank God for funk and soul music—and The Dap-Kings. I’m suspect of anyone who isn’t moved by their live show! It reminds me of how my father and extended family presented this music when I was a kid. Now The Dap-Kings and I bring our collective experiences to the table. This is major.”
Last Friday, Batiste and The Dap-Kings were announced for the Newport Folk Festival on July 29th, when they’ll perform a set titled A Change Is Gonna Come, most likely featuring protest songs from the Civil Rights movements. The joint tour will also be hitting half a dozen other music festivals from April to July, including New Orleans Jazz Fest, Atlanta Jazz Fest, Spoleto Festival, Milwaukee Summerfest, Saratoga Jazz Fest, and Indian Wells Music Festival. See the full list of dates below.
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