Kamasi Washington is more than just a tenor saxophonist; he is a force of nature who broke out of jazz club bubbles to headline major festivals like Coachella and Glastonbury. Raised in Inglewood, California, Kamasi grew up under the direct influence of Pan-Africanism and spiritual jazz, elements he fused with the rhythmic energy of West Coast hip-hop.
His global ascent was sealed with the release of the monumental triple album The Epic (2015). Spanning nearly three hours, the record is an immersive experience featuring choirs, string orchestras, and a visceral jazz band (the The Next Step collective). Kamasi revived the grandeur of masters like Pharoah Sanders and John Coltrane, but with a cinematic quality that speaks directly to 21st-century urban youth. His pivotal collaboration on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly was the catalyst that proved jazz remains the central pillar of contemporary Black music.
For Jazz Latitude, Kamasi Washington represents jazz as a manifesto of power and spirituality. He doesn’t strive for sterile technical perfection, but rather a ‘sonic truth’ that is both ancestral and futuristic. Listening to Kamasi is not just hearing music; it is witnessing the construction of a new American epic.