Kamasi Washington

Jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington's aptly titled and critically acclaimed 2015 album The Epic placed him firmly at the crossroads of his chosen genre by paying homage to its experimental past while also forging new paths through elements of soul and DJ culture. Born February 18, 1981 in Los Angeles, California, he was raised in the city of Inglewood by parents who were both musicians and educators. Washington played several instruments before settling on the saxophone at the age of 13, which he pursued through his high school years at the Academy of Music of Alexander Hamilton High School, and as a member of the "Multi-School Jazz Band," an informal collection of inner-city students who played jazz at magnet schools like Hamilton throughout Los Angeles. During this period, he teamed with Cameron Graves, Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner and his brother, Ronald Bruner, Jr., to form the Young Jazz Giants, which also formed the backbone of a larger, 10-piece act called West Coast Get Down. Both bands became staples of the Los Angeles jazz and hip-hop scenes, while Washington was frequently tapped as a sideman by artists ranging from Snoop Dogg and Raphael Saadiq to McCoy Tyner. In 2004, Washington and the Young Jazz Giants issued their self-titled debut album, which was soon followed by his solo debut on Live at 5th Street Dick's on his own independent label. A steady stream of guest appearances on albums by Broken Bells, DJ Flying Lotus and bassist Stanley Clarke led to widespread attention for his contributions to Kendrick Lamar's chart-topping To Pimp a Butterfly LP in 2015. That same year, Washington released The Epic, a sprawling, three-disc jazz concept album that explored his array of influences - avant-garde jazz players like John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders, Afro-Jazz, hip-hop and soul - with an array of partners including the Young Jazz Giants and vocalist Patrice Quinn. The album reached No. 3 on the Billboard Jazz chart and reaped near-universal acclaim from critics and listeners alike. Washington followed up with an EP entitled Harmony of Difference in September 2017. The six pieces on this EP were related to a painting installation by Washington's sister, artist Amani Washington, prints of which were included in the EP's liner notes. Washington's next releaseHeaven and Earth (2018), included a special "secret" disc in both its LP and CD configurations that buyers had to actually cut free from a secret compartment in the record's packaging.