Jean-Baptiste first studied double bass with his father, Bernard Salles, at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Départemental in Pau, France. He continued his training with Jean-Michel Hequet, before later going on to study with Thomas Martin, Giuseppe Ettorre, Thierry Barbé, and Antonio Garcia Araque. He began teaching in 2003, and in 2018 was appointed as a professor at the Conservatoire de Pau. He is also a member of the Orchestre de Pau Pays de Béarn. Since August 2020 he has been the director of the international double bass summer camp, Rencontres de la Contrebasse en Roussillon, in Perpignan.