Kamasi Washington & The Next Step at University Musical Society at Michigan Theater

“The 35-year-old tenor saxophonist Kamasi Washington has emerged as “the most-talked-about jazz musician since Wynton Marsalis arrived on the New York scene three decades ago.” (New York Times)
Born into a musical family, he recently collaborated and appeared on rapper Kendrick Lamar’s platinum album To Pimp a Butterfly and has also performed with the likes of Snoop Dogg, Gerald Wilson, Mos Def, Quincy Jones, and Chaka Khan. But while Washington and the other members of his coalition of musicians turned to hip-hop and R&B to make a living, they’ve been immersed in jazz since they were teenagers in South Central L.A...

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“The 35-year-old tenor saxophonist Kamasi Washington has emerged as “the most-talked-about jazz musician since Wynton Marsalis arrived on the New York scene three decades ago.” (New York Times)
Born into a musical family, he recently collaborated and appeared on rapper Kendrick Lamar’s platinum album To Pimp a Butterfly and has also performed with the likes of Snoop Dogg, Gerald Wilson, Mos Def, Quincy Jones, and Chaka Khan. But while Washington and the other members of his coalition of musicians turned to hip-hop and R&B to make a living, they’ve been immersed in jazz since they were teenagers in South Central L.A. Washington recently released a groundbreaking solo album, The Epic, a 172-minute, triple-disc masterpiece, which was awarded the inaugural American Music Prize recognizing the best debut album of the previous year across all genres. “The Los Angeles saxophonist is the most audacious player in a movement making the electric flurry of 1970s fusion jazz cool again.” (Rolling Stone)

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