Although jazz began as dance music in the swing era, today many people hear it as a contemplative genre that suffices as background at a dinner or is enjoyed while seated in a club or theater. Jazz concerts with the audience moving around are not common, though this is starting to change again. The scene in London has been noted here for its blend of sounds from diverse origins and its proximity to electronic music. But before that scene became what it is today, there was a figure in Los Angeles who managed to restore jazz with a sense of modernity that appealed to young festival crowds and, at times, even invited dancing. With a new album released recently, the intention is clearly stated in the title, Fearless Movement: yes, Kamasi Washington wants listeners to dance, or at least to move a few muscles while he plays.
In an interview conducted by phone while he was driving in Los Angeles, the musician explains that when he began composing this new music he kept in mind the idea of people dancing to it. He believes any way people want to enjoy the music or the album is fine, but there is something beautiful and magical about music that can move a person. He loves watching that moment unfold. Washington, known for his robes and his striking Afro, comes across as a guru-like figure ready to officiate a type of ritual on stage. He is currently heading to Spain to perform in Barcelona with a city jazz festival lineup and in Madrid with a major venue, after having to pause a tour due to a back issue that has now improved.
No true electrojazz, no pure fusion of jazz with hip hop or r’n’b as some friends of his might explore. A track like Get Lit features a rapper trading verses with a guest who helps blend two senses of rhythm, but this is not primarily a dance record. The opening track Lesanu feels like a joyful rhythmic feast closer to the early modern jazz spirit than to the crossovers mentioned. The record also Savors tribal rhythms, gospel, Afrobeat, and space jazz, treated with a vast sense of freedom. Washington leads these currents on a saxophone that can drift into prayerful calm or erupt with intensity, always allowing a large ensemble to illuminate. André 3000, the rapper formerly of OutKast, appears as a guest and contributes flute on one of the pieces.
The engine behind Washington’s creativity is pure jazz in the sense of unleashing improvisation within the framework of composition and in studio work that mirrors the live setting. He explains that ideas arrive during recording, and the work comes together when the pieces align. Prologue, a closing track on the album, is a case in point where the collaboration with other musicians shapes a free, responsive version that evolves in the moment. He emphasizes that he tries to record with an open spirit and follows the music where it wants to lead him.
2015, An Epic Year
The nephew of a renowned dancer and choreographer, Lula Washington, Kamasi studied ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles and played with respected instructors such as the legendary Kenny Burrell. He formed a quartet that already included Graves and the notable Thundercat, who have remained part of his circle. Washington was a respected local talent who, in a year that changed everything, drew broader attention from audiences beyond the jazz scene. A pivotal moment came when Kendrick Lamar released an album that not only featured Washington’s sax but also his strings arrangements. Shortly after, Washington released The Epic, an ambitious long-form project that showcased a nine‑member jazz ensemble, a 32‑piece orchestra, and a 20-voice choir surrounding the leader. A suite of pieces spanned spirituals to bop, soul to funk and free jazz, and Debussy’s Clair de lune was reimagined as a reverent ballad. The New York Times described him as a musician whose profile in the scene had grown to celebrity-like proportions, the kind of figure many expected to define a generation in jazz.
The following year saw Washington performing at modern festivals that attract diverse crowds, yet his commitment to jazz remained unwavering. His explanation for reaching audiences outside traditional jazz lovers centers on music that speaks to people on a personal level. He argues that audiences appreciate honest music that reflects who he is and that resonates with listeners on a spiritual level. He notes that Los Angeles, with its abundant musical life and varied venues, acts like a microcosm of the world, where the audience composition was always universal even before fame arrived. The music, he says, spoke to different kinds of listeners and traveled beyond the expected boundaries of the genre.
The World and Jazz for a Father
Three albums and a decade after The Epic, Kamasi Washington remains a musician who values large ensembles, now touring with an eight‑piece band in Europe and continuing to explore new forms. A major personal development accompanies his art: fatherhood. In the process of making his latest album, which harvests the post‑pandemic mood and builds on the momentum of his previous work, he became a father. He describes how having a child shifts perspective and deepens the sense of purpose, making his music feel even more honest because it carries the responsibility he feels for someone else. His daughter Asha is credited as the composer of the second track on the record, a piece built on a simple motif she first produced on a child’s keyboard, an intimate reminder of how family shapes art.
The central question remains: does the musician worry about the world his daughter will inherit given the political climate in the country? He answers with candor, saying the prospect is terrifying. He hopes for a future filled with understanding, love, and care for one another, and he believes that good people will prevail even amid darkness. Washington explains that Los Angeles reflects a mosaic of cultures and audiences, and his music aims to connect with all of them. He remains convinced that music can speak to the human spirit, offering a universal language that can guide listeners toward a more compassionate world despite the uncertainties of the era.