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Social Music, the most recent album by New Orleans pianist Jon Batiste and his band, Stay Human, includes a song called “It’s Alright (Why You Gotta)” that my 4-year-old daughter loves. She walks around the house singing the chorus with a big grin. Batiste doesn’t make music for children, per se—as the album title suggests, it’s party stuff—but he does make music that’s immediately catchy and fun. Moreover, it’s music that’s both steeped in jazz tradition and accessible to anyone. For those who feel that jazz in the 21st century has lost the populist or folk-music aspects that were so crucial to its beginnings, Batiste provides the antidote. It’s surely no coincidence that he’s playing Washington Performing Arts Society’s first presentation at the Howard, Washington’s historic “theater of the people.” Jon Batiste and Stay Human perform at 8 p.m. at Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. $30. (202) 803-2899. thehowardtheatre.com.