About
1971 Chapter four Viettnam era veteran Band leader When I returned from the military, my Mom asked me to manage the Gladiators. It was because I always listened to what my mother said that I started to manage the band, and not some selfish reason or desire to be in charge. If Mom said it, I did it. She always managed our affairs to keep us safe. My Mom was the classic Mom. She kept an eye on everything we did. When we played the “Whitey’s-Devil’s Den” on Banks, Mom spoke to the Club owner and inquired what took place the nights we played. The Club owner told her what he thought of me, so I started booking and continued to direct and arrange the music. Some of the things I did was buy sound equipment, a van for transportation and use my apartment to rehearse. Before the seventies, equipment was small. I could remember doing a gig with one Sears Silvertone amplifier for everything including the microphone, keyboard, bass and Silvertone lead guitar. Also, by the time I return
Born of One-Nighters
Paul Batiste
“THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE”
Don’t be misled by a water down or diluted version of the real thing. “Batiste Brothers Band®” / “The Batiste Family®” has given you the goodwill and integrity at Jazz Fest and abroad since 1978. But most of you called us Batiste Fathers, Sons, Nephews, Friends and the likes. However, we are the Batiste trade name, and that comes with respect for the audience. We would never try to mislead you. You can have confidence that we will always have you in mind first.
Don’t mistake the “Batiste Fathers and sons” for being our group. We do not endorse this group. We are not playing a Jazz Fest this year as some calls have thought. Again, we will never mislead you. There can only be only Batiste branded in entertainment for you. Thank you for only wanting the original.
I named the band Batiste Brothers Band but most newspaper articles call us Batiste Family, Batiste Clan or other Batiste family connotations because we always have more than brothers on stage.
Jon Batiste, Jamal Batiste and Travis Batiste on Louisiana Jukebox when they were kids.......The Batiste Kids CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Jon Batiste as band director on "Late Night Show" with Stephen Colbert Jon, Jamal, Travis, Jordan, David, Paul and Michael The Batiste Kids and the Batiste Brothers at the Louisiana Children's Museum....................years ago! The Batiste Family Late Night President Clinton Lee's Song Paul Batiste and the Batiste Brothers Band All Rights Reserved IT'S THE WORLD WIDE DIGITAL RELEASE OF "WORLD OF BLUES" BY PAUL BATISTE ..............ON JULY 27, 2013 AT ITUNES AND AMAZON MP3 AND MANY OTHER DIGITAL MUSIC ONLINE STORES............................................................
Looking to the Future
Mrs. Obama tells New Orleans students to 'dream big'
By Bruce Alpert, NOLA.com | Times-Picayune
on February 13, 2013 at 2:38 PM, updated February 13, 2013 at 3:41 PMPrintEmail
WASHINGTON - "Dream big. Don't aim low, aim high." That was the message First Lady Michelle Obama delivered Wednesday to 80 Middle School students, including 22 from New Orleans. "You have to prepare your minds and your bodies for greatness," Mrs. Obama said at the ornate State Dining Room at the White House.
Michelle Obama and family (White House photo)
For now, she told the students, their main job, as she regularly reminds her two daughters, "is to go to school, do your homework everyday."
The New Orleans contingent was from Batiste Cultural Arts Academy, one of eight schools nationally chosen for a two-year federal Turnaround Arts program designed to show how involvement in the arts can boost grades, graduation rates and civil engagement.
The First Lady told the students that in addition to working hard at school, they need to read everything "you can get your hands on."
"That's one of the things that President Obama does - he reads everything. He reads all the time. You have to read, read, and read again," Mrs. Obama said.
The First Lady told the students if they work hard, and get a little encouragement along the way, they will have great opportunities.
"The truth is that I know that I wouldn't be where I am today, and I know that my husband, President Obama, wouldn't be where he is today if he hadn't gotten that kind of inspiration from somebody in our lives. We wouldn't be who we are today without all these people who pushed us and believed in us and gave us opportunities to learn and grow and fulfill our potential. We wouldn't be here."
The students watched the Academy Award nominated film, "Beasts of the Southern Wild," and Mrs. Obama signaled how she'd vote if given the chance. The inspiring story of how a six-year-old girl helped her family overcome tremendous obstacles in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, is one of the "most powerful and most important" films in a long time, Mrs. Obama said.
"It shows us the strength of our communities, no matter what they look like," Mrs. Obama said. "It shows us that these communities can give us the power to overcome any kind of obstacles. And it also tells a compelling story of poverty and devastation, but also of hope and love in the midst of some great challenges."
The cast and crew later participated in a q and a with the students and Rachel Goslins, the director of the President's Committee on the Arts.
The Batiste students were excited about the chance to meet Mrs. Obama, as well as the star of the inspirational movie, Quvenzhane Wallis, who plays six-year-old Hushpuppy. Hushpuppy, the movie's heroine.
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"It was great," said Gary Robichaux, executive director of the charter management organization, ReNew, which operates Batiste. "We got to meet with the First Lady. We just watched the president land in his helicopter from his trip (to North Carolina). And we even got to see Bo (the Obama's dog) play on the front lawn of the White House. Very cool."
The students were excited.
"I know New Orleans has a lot of negative things going on, and this is a chance to see something positive," said Algernon Jacques, 12, a 7th grader.
Algernon got the advice from Mrs. Obama he sought on "how to do well in life."
Paul Batiste, founder of the Batiste Brothers Band who helped found the school located at the former Live Oak Elementary School, said he's thrilled the students had a chance to meet the First Lady and get a behind-the-scenes look at America's most famous house.
"I can't tell how excited I am that our students are getting this opportunity," Batiste said. "The students have come a long way."
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