Jon Batiste reinterpreted “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” (the lyrics of which premiered in 1862 issue of The Atlantic) in order for it to be used as the theme song of the Radio Atlantic podcast. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert bandleader is now taking on the role of Music Director for The Atlantic.
The newly created position will allow the Jazz musician to collaborate with the outlet’s editors on videos, live events, and other content. Batiste also penned his first article for the publication.
“I’ve gotten to know Jon fairly well, and there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s an actual genius,” said Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor-In-Chief of The Atlantic. “I’m just thrilled that he’s going to work with us across our many platforms.”
Goldberg continued, “His rendition of The Atlantic’s theme song, ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic,’ has resonated with so many people, and for us here [at] The Atlantic, it connected our glorious past to our promising future.”
Check out Jon Batiste’s “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” below.
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