Kamasi Washington

Kamasi Washington And André 3000 Enter A ‘Dream State’ On Their Collaboration From Washington’s Upcoming Album

by

It was likely only a matter of time until Kamasi Washington and André 3000 teamed up. After all, André has spent the last half-decade wandering around playing woodwinds and Washington is one of the foremost big-band jazz revivalists working in music today. Sure enough, they’ve released their first collaboration, “Dream State,” complete with a well-suited, avant-garde music video. The track’s actually long enough that YouTube imposes its obnoxious ads on it before the first movement is even over, but the conversation between the two artists’ chosen instruments — sax and flute — is hypnotically engaging enough to make it worth sitting through a Fiji tourism commercial. Hell, I’d even pay for Premium (if I didn’t already have it and write it off on my taxes).

The song is from Washington’s upcoming album, Fearless Movement, which is out on May 3. In the album announcement press release, Kamasi calls it his “dance album,” elaborating, “It’s not literal. Dance is movement and expression, and in a way it’s the same thing as music—expressing your spirit through your body. That’s what this album is pushing.” The project was partially inspired by the birth of his daughter, and will also feature appearances from BJ The Chicago Kid, Coast Contra, DJ Battlecat, D-Smoke, George Clinton, and of course, frequent collaborators Terrace Martin and Thundercat.

Check out the video for “Dream State” above.

Fearless Movement Tracklist

01. “Lesanu”
02. “Asha The First” Feat. Thundercat & Taj Austin, Ras Austin of Coast Contra
03. “Computer Love” Feat. Patrice Quinn, DJ Battlecat, Brandon Coleman
04. “The Visionary” Feat. Terrace Martin
05. “Get Lit” Feat. George Clinton, D Smoke
06. “Dream State” Feat. André 3000
07. “Together” Feat. BJ the Chicago Kid
08. “The Garden Path”
09. “Interstellar Peace” (The Last Stance)
10. “Road to Self (KO)”
11. “Lines in the Sand”
12. “Prologue”

Kamasi Washington Announces ‘Fearless Movement,’ His First Album In Years, As Well As 2024 Tour Dates

by

It’s been a minute since we’ve gotten new Kamasi Washington, as his most recent album is 2018’s Heaven And Earth. His comeback is nigh, though: Today (March 6), he announced the upcoming release of Fearless Movement, a new album. He also shared a video for “Prologue.”

Washington recruited a strong roster of collaborators for the project, including André 3000 (on flute), George Clinton, BJ The Chicago Kid, Thundercat, Terrace Martin, and more.

Per a press release, Washington calls the project his “dance album,” saying, “It’s not literal. Dance is movement and expression, and in a way it’s the same thing as music — expressing your spirit through your body. That’s what this album is pushing.”

The press release also notes, “Where previous albums dealt with cosmic ideas and existential concepts, Fearless Movement focuses in on the everyday, an exploration of life on earth. This change in scope is due in large part to the birth of Washington’s first child a few years ago.”

Washington adds, “Being a father means the horizon of your life all of a sudden shows up. My mortality became more apparent to me, but also my immortality — realizing that my daughter is going to live on and see things that I’m never going to see. I had to become comfortable with this, and that affected the music that I was making.”

Watch the “Prologue” video above and find the Fearless Movement art and tracklist below. Washington also announced new tour dates, so find those below as well.

Kamasi Washington’s Fearless Movement Album Cover Artwork

Kamasi Washington Fearless Movement
Young

Kamasi Washington’s Fearless Movement Tracklist

1. “Lesanu”
2. “Asha The First” Feat. Thundercat, Taj Austin, and Ras Austin
3. “Computer Love” Feat. Patrice Quinn, DJ Battlecat, and Brandon Coleman
4. “The Visionary” Feat. Terrace Martin
5. “Get Lit” Feat. George Clinton and D Smoke
6. “Dream State” Feat. André 3000
7. “Together” Feat. BJ The Chicago Kid
8. “The Garden Path”
9. “Interstellar Peace (The Last Stance)”
10. “Road To Self (KO)”
11. “Lines In The Sand”
12. “Prologue”

Kamasi Washington 2024 Tour Dates

05/04 — New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
05/05 — Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
05/07 — Toronto, QC @ History
05/08 — Cincinnati, OH @ Ludlow Garage
05/09 — Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
05/10 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
05/11 — Minneapolis, MN @ Fitzgerald Theater
05/12 — Omaha, NB @ Slowdown
05/14 — Houston, TX @ House of Blues Houston
05/15 — Dallas, TX @ House of Blues Dallas
05/16 — San Antonio, TX @ Empire Theater
05/17 — Austin, TX @ Empire Garage
05/30 — Vancouver, BC @ Vogue
05/31 — Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
06/01 — Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre
06/02 — Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
06/05 — Sacramento, CA @ Crest Theatre
06/06 — Monterey, CA @ Golden State Theatre
06/07 — San Francisco, CA @ Warfield
06/08 — Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
06/09 — San Diego, CA @ Belly Up
06/11 — Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Arts Center
06/16 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl Jazz Fest
07/31 — Alexandria, VA @ The Birchmere

Dinner Party Holds A Soulful Jam Session On ‘Jimmy Kimmel’ With A Performance Of ‘Insane’ With Ant Clemons

by

Fresh off of their Coachella weekend one performance, supergroup Dinner Party headed over to Jimmy Kimmel Live! to deliver yet another powerful set, this time for the fans at home.

Comprised of saxophonist Kamasi Washington, multi-instrumentalist Terrace Martin, DJ/producer 9th Wonder, and keyboardist Robert Glasper, the musical powerhouse’s self-titled debut album showcased just how much further the industry veterans could push themselves. On their latest project, Enigmatic Society, they are looking to outdo themselves.

Joined by singer Ant Clemons, Dinner Party demonstrated their growth with an intimate performance of the single “Insane.” As Clemons sings, “Hella glad you made it / Shot a clock, I’m faded / Be my designated / Call your driver, baby / ‘Cause that body drives me crazy,” the listener is hocked in with the buttery smooth lines.

The oozing swagger of the song’s lyrics is heightened by the musicians’ homely stage set up on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Dinner Party and Clemons hold an effortlessly soulful jam session blending together areas of each musician’s areas of expertise, from jazz to jazz and every element in between.

Watch the full performance of “Insane” on Jimmy Kimmel Live above.

Enigmatic Society is out now via Sounds Of Crenshaw/Empire. Find more information here.

Dinner Party Isn’t Taking Life ‘For Granted,’ So They’ve Welcomed Fans To Their ‘Enigmatic Society’ Era

by

Dinner Party, the supergroup of Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder, and Kamasi Washington, have announced their album, Enigmatic Society, will drop this month — just ahead of their performance at Coachella’s first weekend.

In celebration, the band also shared a new single, “For Granted” (feat. Arin Ray) today. The chilled-out energy in this latest release transports listeners to another planet, or maybe even a beach, as the instrumental incorporates twinkling bubble sounds. It marks just one of a few of the group’s collaborations with Ray on their new album.

The tracklist also features other special guests, including Phoelix, Tank, and Ant Clemons. This follows Dinner Party’s string of success over the past few years since they debuted. The band took received a Grammy nomination in 2022 for Best Progressive R&B Album for their project Dinner Party: Dessert. If they continue down this path, based on what “For Granted” suggests as well, more nods could be on the horizon.

Listen to Dinner Party’s “For Granted” (feat. Arin Ray) above. Continue scrolling for their Enigmatic Society album art and complete tracklist.

dinner party enigmatic society
Amani Washington

1. “Answered Prayer” (feat. Phoelix)
2. “Breathe” (feat. Arin Ray)
3. “Insane” (feat. Ant Clemons)
4. “Watts Renaissance”
5. “For Granted” (feat. Arin Ray)
6. “Secure” (feat. Phoelix & Tank)
7. “Can’t Go” (feat. Phoelix)
8. “The Lower East Side”
9. “Love Love” (feat. Arin Ray)

Enigmatic Society is out 4/16 via Sounds Of Crenshaw/Empire. Find more information here.

Anderson .Paak, Herbie Hancock, Thundercat, And More Are Set To Headline Newport Jazz Festival 2023

by
Anderson Paak Concert PNE Amphitheatre 2019
Getty Image

Another day, another legendary music festival lineup to announce. This go-’round is one of the most iconic festivals dedicated to jazz music lovers: the Newport Jazz Festival.

The multi-day outdoor event is set to celebrate its 69th anniversary, making its highly-anticipated return to Fort Adams State Park in Rhode Island. The Newport Jazz Festival will take place between August 4 and 6. Opening day, Friday, August 4, will be headlined by Kamasi Washington, DJ Pee .Wee (also known as Anderson .Paak), and Big Freedia. Whereas Jon Batiste and Thundercat are billed to headline the following day, Saturday, August 5. Closing out the festival is none other than jazz legends Herbie Hancock and Diana Krall.

Other notable acts include Grammy’s newest Best New Artist winner Samara Joy, Charles Lloyd, Vijay Iyer, DOMi & JD Beck, Arooj Aftab, Big Gigantic, Alfa Mist, Cautious Clay, Durand Jones, and The War & Treaty.

Tickets for the festival will go on sale to the public on Wednesday, March 22, at 1 p.m. est. The organizers are offering a student discount rate for those between the ages of 10 and 25. For more information, click here.

View the full lineup organized by day via the poster below.

Newport Jazz Festival 2023 Flyer
Newport Jazz Festival

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Kamasi Washington And Leon Bridges Headline The 2023 Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival

by
kamasi washington jazz festival
Getty Image

Jazz revivalist Kamasi Washington and genre legend Herbie Hancock are co-curating the 2023 Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival, the details of which have been revealed. Washington and Leon Bridges have been confirmed as the headliners, and the bill also includes New Orleans bounce pioneer Big Freedia (with The Soul Rebels), ’90s alt-rap touchstones Digable Planets, and modern jazz standard-bearers St. Paul and The Broken Bones and West Coast Get Down.

The 2023 Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival is set for June 17-18 and will be hosted by Arsenio Hall. Tickets are available at hollywoodbowl.com.

In a statement, Hancock said, “I was thrilled when the LA Phil asked me to co-curate this festival with Kamasi and explore his extraordinary art. Our celebration this year includes so many artists — both emerging and established — at defining moments in their musical journeys. We hope to create community and connection through the music we make and leave audiences feeling uplifted and inspired.”

Washington echoed those sentiments while praising his forebear. “Herbie is one of the greatest musicians to ever live and I am so grateful to be working with him on this special show. Herbie and I have been working with the LA Phil team to create a one-of-a-kind experience that we hope will leave the audience with excitement, joy, life, soul, and most of all great music.”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Roots, Robert Glasper, And Kamasi Washington Lead The Mostly Free 2022 Montreal Jazz Festival

by
the roots picnic
Getty Image

One of the finest urban festivals in the world, Montreal Jazz Festival is back for its 42nd year with one of its best lineups ever. The Downtown Montreal celebration will be showcasing over 350 global artists in programming which is mostly free and includes jazz, rock, hip-hop, and so much more. That’s right: two thirds of the programming at MTL Jazz is free to the public in an incredible effort from the Canadian government’s dedication to the arts and longtime sponsors in TD Bank and Rio Tinto.

This year’s lineup is led by The Roots, Tash Sultana, Robert Glasper, Ludovico Einaudi, Kamasi Washington, Pink Martini, Woodkid, and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. It’s a testament to how not only jazz music will be on display in Montreal’s outdoor stages and indoor venues from June 30th to July 9th.

The diversely-minded lineup also features highlights in the multi-talented Masego, New Orleans trumpet player Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, vocalist Gregory Porter, rapper Joey Badass, Brazilian muse Bebel Gilberto, the British jazz-hop of Alfa Mist, singer/violinist Sudan Archives, a nu-jazz collaboration set from Pino Palladino and Blake Mills featuring Sam Gendel and Abe Rounds, plus so much more. This is truly a bucket list-type of festival experience for any music lover that we can’t recommend enough.

Ticketed concerts at Montreal Jazz festival go on sale starting Friday, April 1 at 10 a.m. here. Check out the lineup below.

Montreal Jazz Festival
Montreal Jazz Festival