Photo Credit: Louis Browne

After seven seasons of holding down the position as bandleader on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Academy and Grammy Award-winning artist Jon Batiste has announced his departure from the program. 

On Thursday night, the news of Batiste’s departure was shared with viewers of the late-night television show. It was disclosed that the musician’s move was sparked by his need to “pursue personal and professional interests.” 

During last night’s broadcast, it was also revealed that Batiste’s interim cover will be Louis Cato, who will hold down the role through the summer months until Tuesday, Sept. 6, when he officially takes the reins and becomes the next bandleader for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

“Louis has done a great job this summer, and he is very humble, so he won’t say this. But I will. He’s a musical genius,” shares Colbert. “He can play basically every instrument over there. Give him an afternoon, he’ll learn how to play Mozart on a shoehorn,” he concludes.

“I’ve come to realize the world needs more love. That’s what I try to do on the Late Show, with my own performances and when I’m making records,” Jon Batiste explains in his 2018 interview with Relix. Read the complete cover story here.

Watch Louis Cato performing live at New York’s Relix Studio below.

Congratulations to our new band leader @realLouisCato and The Late Show Band!! pic.twitter.com/seLY92jeee

— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) August 12, 2022