Not a fan of his arrangement of the National Anthem. It's a classic for a reason. And bears so much meaning and carries with it a lot of loss for many - directly and indirectly affected by the message of the powerful lyrics.
I like jazz. And the setting is New Orleans. But don't f*ck with the anthem so much that it is now all about you. Not in this context, at this place, at this time, with that symbolic, iconic anthem….with a sitting POTUS present for the first time in NFL history.
This seems likeproof that Jon Baptiste wanted to make it all about him:
"The multi-Grammy winner opened the game with a lively rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner." He told Entertainment Tonight last month thathe hopes his performance "lasts the test of time."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/super-bowl-national-anthem-jon-batiste/
Well, he succeeded. His arrangement made the National Anthem all about him. But not in a good way, in this Anon's opinion.
Who picked him? That had to know what he would do with it. Feels very disrespectful.