Kamasi Washington

Kamasi Washington is an acclaimed experimental jazz saxophonist and a leader in the modern jazz scene.

Notable Albums and Projects: "The Epic" (2015) – His debut album, a sprawling three-hour jazz odyssey, received critical acclaim and established him as a leading figure in contemporary jazz.

"Harmony of Difference" (2017) – A shorter, yet equally powerful EP exploring unity through musical contrast.

"Heaven and Earth" (2018) – A double album that further pushed his musical and philosophical explorations.

"Fearless Movement" (2024) – His latest album, blending jazz with funk, R&B, and electronic influences.

Washington is a graduate of the Academy of Music of Alexander Hamilton High School in Beverlywood, Los Angeles. Washington next enrolled in UCLA's Department of Ethnomusicology, where he began playing with faculty members such as Kenny Burrell, Billy Higgins, and bandleader/trumpeter Gerald Wilson. Washington features in the album Young Jazz Giants in 2004. He joined the Gerald Wilson Orchestra for its 2005 album In My Time and played saxophone on Kendrick Lamar's 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly.

Washington has played alongside a diverse group of musicians including Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Horace Tapscott, Gerald Wilson, Lauryn Hill, Nas, Snoop Dogg, George Duke, Chaka Khan, Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Mike Muir, Francisco Aguabella, the Pan Afrikaan People's Orchestra, and Raphael Saadiq.

Washington's debut solo album, The Epic, was released in May 2015. The mini-album/EP Harmony of Difference followed in September 2017. His second full-length studio album, Heaven and Earth, was released in June 2018, with a companion EP titled The Choice released a week later.