Stephen Colbert’s new Late Show band leader gave one of The Colbert Report’s best performances

When Stephen Colbert takes over for David Letterman on CBS’s Late Show, it’s not just as a comedian. Letterman’s Late Show was home to a number of great musical performances. The Colbert Report was, too, especially in the later years. Arguably the best ever, in fact, was Jon Batiste and Stay Human in a performance that took the entire audience out of the studio and into the street, where the band and Colbert all sang and dance until commercial break.

Guess what? He’s now officially the band leader (or “Musical Friend”) for Colbert’s Late Show. It’s probably the best pick ever.

A little more about Jon Batiste: the Louisiana-born multi-instrumentalist comes from a family of musicians. Batiste has released four albums and three EPs since graduating with a master’s degree from Juilliard. In 2012, he was appointed associate artistic director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem (he currently serves as artistic director-at-large). He also played himself on the HBO series Treme.

Colbert’s Late Show is just beginning to take shape, at least online. Yesterday it launched its official website, iOS app, and all the requisite social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, etc.). He also shaved the Colbeard. The first episode of Colbert’s Late Show will premiere September 8th at 11:35PM.

Let’s enjoy that Colbert Report moment one more time: