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Kamasi Washington & the Next Step

Aug 9, Sunday - 12pm Noon
Kaiser Permanente Main Stage

Saxophonist Kamasi Washington has long aligned himself at the intersection of jazz and hip hop, collaborating with everyone from Quincy Jones to Lauryn Hill. Washington brings two of his current projects to this year’s Summer Fest, the Next Step and the West Coast Get Down.

Kamasi has led a fulfilling life in music since an early age, earning the lead tenor saxophone in the top jazz ensemble at the Hamilton High School Music Academy and forming jazz ensemble The Young Jazz Giants in high school. In his second year at UCLA, Washington went on his first national tour with hip hop legend Snoop Dogg.

Washington has collaborated with stars including Raphael Saddiq and Chaka Khan, as well as becoming a member of The Gerald Wilson Orchestra and studying under one of his biggest heroes. The saxophonist has also appeared on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly, and on albums by Harvey Mason and Stanley Clarke.

Washington’s work with Brainfeeder, a label established by electronic musician and producer Flying Lotus, has culminated in his first album with The Next Step, The Epic. This sprawling project is full of funk, gospel, swing, and hip hop, expanding the boundaries of jazz.

Kamasi has led a fulfilling life in music since an early age, earning the lead tenor saxophone in the top jazz ensemble at the Hamilton High School Music Academy and forming jazz ensemble The Young Jazz Giants in high school. In his second year at UCLA, Washington went on his first national tour with hip hop legend Snoop Dogg.

Washington has collaborated with stars including Raphael Saddiq and Chaka Khan, as well as becoming a member of The Gerald Wilson Orchestra and studying under one of his biggest heroes. The saxophonist has also appeared on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly, and on albums by Harvey Mason and Stanley Clarke.

Washington’s work with Brainfeeder, a label established by electronic musician and producer Flying Lotus, has culminated in his first album with The Next Step, The Epic. This sprawling project is full of funk, gospel, swing, and hip hop, expanding the boundaries of jazz.


Personnel

Kamasi Washington, tenor saxophone
Rickey Washington, soprano saxophone
Ryan Porter, trombone Cameron Graves, piano
Miles Mosley, bass
Tony Austin, drums
Lyndon Rochelle, drums
Patrice Quinn, vocals