Louis Cato, TV late night bandleader, offers ‘Reflections,’ a new album of ‘laid bare, honest’ songs

By MARK KENNEDY
AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Louis Cato’s remarkable musical gifts are on show this summer with his second album, “Reflections,” a way to express himself while his regular day gig as bandleader of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” is quiet because of the Hollywood strike. The new album is quite different from his 2017 debut, “Starting Now,” where he wanted to showcase “everything I could possibly do.” With “Reflections,” he let go of the bells and whistles. The album, out Friday, veers from folk to funk with soul and Latin influences. “Another Day” features a duet with Elizabeth Ziman of Elizabeth & The Catapult, while ”Cutie Baby” is a sweet lullaby.