Top saxophonist KAMASI WASHINGTON will perform in Slovakia for the very first time. At Pohoda Festival, together with his concert band, he will show that jazz belongs not only in clubs, but also on summer festival stages.
One of the most distinctive voices in modern jazz, Los Angeles-based tenor saxophonist KAMASI WASHINGTON shone on the music scene in 2015 with his debut album Epic, whose title accurately describes what you feel after hearing it. Even then, the jazz innovator and bandleader ambitiously incorporated an orchestra and choir into his ensemble, making the songs truly spectacular and transcending the traditional idea of a jazz band.
Washington has won several music awards for his debut, as well as his second album Heaven and Earth, especially in the field of the independent music scene. He even earned a Grammy nomination for his soundtrack for Becoming, a documentary about former First Lady Michelle Obama. Since he’s one of the best contemporary saxophonists many musicians, including Snoop Dogg, Lauryn Hill, Flying Lotus, Raphael Saadiq, Childish Gambino, and American rapper Kendrick Lamar, have collaborated with him.
“Forget “elevator jazz” and little lamps in smoky New York bars. Kamasi proves that jazz belongs on the summer festival stage as well. I’ve had chills ever since his endorsement. He has always reminded me of a preacher with his appearance. However, you definitely don’t want to miss his joyful and colourful sermon at Pohoda,” – Jana Kopecká, Pohoda festival
KAMASI WASHINGTON’s latest studio album Fearless Movement, released in May this year, was made as a celebration of the birth of his daughter Asha. The record has been met with a positive response from music critics and has featured in several lists of the best albums of 2024. Joe Goggins of NME stated: “(Kamasi Washington) makes music that’s apparently limitless in scope and yet joyously immediate, even to the casual jazz listener.” In addition to Kamasi’s daughter, the album also features musicians like Thundercat (bass guitar) and André 3000 (flute), with whom he recorded the track Dream State.
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