We Are

by Jon Batiste

Overview

In May 2020, pianist and vocalist Jon Batiste released the song "We Are" in support of the Black Lives Matter protests. A year later, he expanded that song into the vibrantly cross-pollinated full-length album We Are. While jazz is always at the core of Batiste's work, on We Are he dips back into the genre-bending pop and R&B-influenced sound of his Stay Human ensemble (whom he famously performs with on CBS' The Late Show with Stephen Colbert). He's assisted by a bevy of production collaborators, including Jahaan Sweet, POMO, and Ricky Reed. We also get appearances by Mavis Staples and Quincy Jones, as well as Batiste's father, Michael Batiste, and grandfather David Gauthier, all of whom add layers of authenticity and biographical texture to the album. While universal in tone, We Are is beautifully inspired by Batiste's life growing up in New Orleans. The record opens with the title track, a passionate, gospel-accented anthem featuring the St. Augustine Marching Band from his high school. We also get "Boyhood," a funky ode to the Big Easy that finds Batiste and fellow New Orleans natives PJ Morton and Trombone Shorty celebrating how the families, food, and culture of their hometown shaped their lives. Batiste sings, "I said I'm far from home but I always represent/I thought I had so much time, I don't know where it went/But now that I'm grown I know what it all meant/No place like New Orleans." Using the best of the past to build toward a better tomorrow is a stirring notion that pervades the album, both musically and thematically. He draws upon the vigorous grooves of New Orleans funk pioneers the Meters with "Tell the Truth" and crafts a buoyant, psychedelic-soul vibe with the help of author Zadie Smith on "Show Me the Way." One of the most vivid encapsulations of his old-meets-new sound on We Are is "I Need You," an electric amalgam of boogie-woogie blues and vintage hip-hop attitude -- like an impossible combination of Little Richard and OutKast. Batiste's genre-mashing reinforces the album's theme of intergenerational wisdom, and it's also wonderfully fun. ~ Matt Collar

Product Details

Release Date:	10/15/2021
Label:	Verve
UPC:	0602438754984
Rank:	35307

Tracks

1. I Need You
2. Freedom
3. Cry
4. Boy Hood
5. Sing
6. We Are
7. Tell the Truth
8. Adulthood
9. Whatchutalkinbout
10. Mavis
11. Freedom [Big Freedia Remix]
12. Tell the Truth [Uptown Remix]
13. Movement 11'
14. Work It Out
15. Adulthood
16. Show Me the Way
17. Sing
18. We Are [Montmartre Remix]
19. Until

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Jon Batiste   Primary Artist,Bass,Bells,Organ,Piano,Bongos,Vocals,Strings,Clarinet,Theremin,Keyboards,Mellotron,Moog Bass,Wurlitzer,Sax (Alto),Tambourine,Synthesizer,Bass (Vocal),Drum Machine,Fender Rhodes,Fender Jazz Bass,Synthesizer Bass
Braedon Gautier   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews   Primary Artist,Trombone,Featured Artist
David Gauthier   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Autumn Rowe   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
BJ the Chicago Kid   Primary Artist,Vocals
Tori Kelly   Primary Artist,Vocals
Gospel Soul Children   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Michael Batiste   Primary Artist,Bass (Electric)
Craig Adams   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Organ,Conductor,Featured Artist
Big Freedia   Primary Artist,Vocals
St. Augustine High School Marching 100   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Brass Band
Abi Bernadoth   Primary Artist,Vocals,Saxophone
Zadie Smith   Primary Artist,Spoken Word,Featured Artist
Big Chief Romeo   Primary Artist,Vocals
Brennan Gautier   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
The Hot 8 Brass Band   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Chamber Ensemble
PJ Morton   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals
Andrew Calhoun   Sax (Tenor)
Steve McEwan   Guitar (Acoustic)
James Gadson   Drums
Andres Renteria   Congas
Sam Yahel   Organ
Robert Randolph   Guitar (Steel)
Mavis Staples   Spoken Word
Nolan Shaheed   Trumpet
Joe Saylor   Drums,Tambourine
Ron Dziubla   Sax (Tenor)
Bennie Pete   Saxophone,Sousaphone
Mardi Gras Indians   Congas,Vocals,Percussion
Mark Pender   Trumpet
Pomo   Drums,Synthesizer
Emily King   Vocals (Background)
Zach Cooper   Bass,Guitar
Carol Hatchett   Vocals (Background)
Tyrus Chapman   Trombone
Kizzo   Drums,Piano,Fender Jazz Bass,Synthesizer Bass,Synthesizer Pads
Kevan Torfeh   Cello
Roberta Freeman   Vocals (Background)
Nate Smith   Drums
Louis Cato   Guitar
Harry Cook   Drums
Louis Fouche   Sax (Alto)
Cory Wong   Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
Josh Adams   Drums
Jahaan Sweet   Synthesizer Bass
Eddie Williams   Musical Director
Nick Waterhouse   Guitar
Wu Ting-Yu   Violin
Kiara Ana Perico   Viola
Andre Sims   Drums (Snare)
Marcus Miller   Flute,Vocals,Saxophone
Mikey Freedom Hart   Guitar,Moog Bass
Simone DeLeon-Jones   Violin
Jim Jedeikin   Sax (Baritone)
Alvarez Huntley   Trumpet
David Pimentel   Drums
Koyo Kim   Violin
Michelle Tseng   Violin
Endea Owens   Bass,Double Bass
Michelle Ross   Violin,Strings
Christopher Cotton   Trumpet
Tarriona 'Tank' Ball   Vocals
Vic Dimotsis   Drums,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Albert Allenback   Flute
Eliana Athayde   Bass
Laurann Angel   Viola
Giveton Gelin   Trumpet
Steven Fowler   Trumpet
Steve Jordan   Drums
Larry Brown   Trombone,Triangle
Andrae Alexander   Piano
Corey Wong   Guitar
Yu-Ting Wu   Violin
Tearce Kizzo   Drums,Piano,Bass (Electric),Fender Jazz Bass,Synthesizer Bass,Synthesizer Pads

Technical Credits

Steve McEwan   Composer
Dahlia Ambach Caplin   A&R
Russell Elevado   Mixing,Recording
Quincy Jones   Liner Notes
Mavis Staples   Composer
Douglas Smiley   Marketing
Manny Marroquin   Mixing
DJ Khalil   Producer,Drum Programming
PJ Morton   Composer
Pomo   Producer,Drum Programming
Zach Cooper   Composer
Kizzo   Composer,Producer,Recording,Recording Arranger
Alex Williams   Engineer,Recording
Ryan Chavez   Producer
Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews   Composer
Michelle Mancini   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Tom Arndt   Producer,Release Coordinator
Ryan Rogers   Art Direction
Eric Neuser   Producer,Release Coordinator
Ryan Lynn   Executive Producer
Autumn Rowe   Composer,Producer
Eric Frederic   Composer
Sunny Levine   Composer,Producer
Nate Mercereau   Producer
Jahaan Sweet   Composer,Producer,Drum Programming
Ken Oriole   Recording
Jon Batiste   Imaging,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Recording,Programming,Drum Programming,Executive Producer,Recording Arranger
Nick Waterhouse   Producer
Will Anspach   Recording
Joseph Lorge   Engineer,Recording
Gavin Paddock   Engineer
Marcus Miller   Composer
Jaclyn Sanchez   Engineer,Recording
Ricky Reed   Mixing,Producer,Programming
Mikey Freedom Hart   Producer,Programming,Assistant Engineer
Marc Whitmore   Mixing,Engineer,Recording
Ethan Shumaker   Engineer,Recording
David Pimentel   Producer,Recording,Drum Programming
Liz Robson   Vocal Engineer
Miles Comaskey   Mixing
Femi Onafowokan   A&R
King Garbage   Producer
Misha Kachkachischvili   Recording
Melody Ewing   A&R
Vic Dimotsis   Composer
Natalie Weber   A&R
Karl Wingate   Assistant
Julia Casey   Marketing
Misha Kachkachishvili   Engineer,Recording
Montmartre   Producer
Andrae Alexander   Composer
Boyfriend   Vocal Arrangement
Karla Cordova   Cover Art
Suleika Jaouad   Photography
Matt Vertere   Engineer,Recording
KCDaProducer   Producer
Reggie Nichols   Producer,Recording Arranger
Kenneth Pineda   Recording
Tearce Kizzo   Composer,Producer,Recording,Recording Arranger
Cindy Nguyen   Design
David Andersen   Second Engineer
Victor Dimotsis   Composer