Kamasi Washington, aged 13, decided to embark on a lifetime quest to discover the many wonders of music. After a rehearsal at his house, his father abandoned his soprano clarinet saxophone on the piano. This decision was made by Kamasi who was captivated by the beauty that he had just heard. He took his father’s horn and, even though he knew nothing about the saxophone and had never touched one, he played Wayne Shorter’s “Sleeping Dancer Sleep On”. This was his favorite song of all time. Kamasi was stunned to discover that he had played drums, piano and clarinet for many years, but never played the saxophone. He was able to sing a song out of his heart, and that gave him an early glimpse into the joy that music can bring. He knew then that music was his passion and that the saxophone his voice. Kamasi was appointed the principal tenor saxophone player in the top jazz group at Hamilton High School Music Academy within two years. Kamasi also joined the Multi School Jazz Band, where he reunited several childhood friends who were on their musical journeys. Kamasi, his high school senior year, formed his first band with his childhood friends Ronald Bruner and Stephen Bruner (drums and bass) and pianist Cameron Graves. The group was known as “The Young Jazz Giants.” Kamasi graduated high school and went on to UCLA to study ethnomusicology. There, he was awarded a full scholarship. He also had the opportunity to experience many other musical cultures. Kamasi’s first album was recorded with “The Young Jazz Giants”, a group that spread jazz across the country. Kamasi, in his second year at UCLA, went on his first tour of the United States with Snoop Dog, a west coast rapper. This band featured many of the best young jazz musicians in America, ironically. Kamasi later joined The Gerald Wilson Orchestra. Gerald Wilson was his greatest inspiration in composition and Kamasi was able to be a part his orchestra, which motivated him to make composition his main focus at UCLA. Kamasi started studying the works of many great European and American composers. Kamasi, who was finishing his senior year at UCLA, went on his first international tour in support of Raphael Saadiq, a legendary RnB musician who had 3/4 “The Young Jazz Giants”. Later that year, he was honored to represent Gerald Wilson’s Los Angeles-based band on his album “In My Time”, which featured Wilson’s New York-based orchestra. Kamasi had the opportunity to record and perform with many of his musical idols from different genres over the following years. He performed with legends such as McCoy Tyner and Freddie Hubbard. He was also working with artists such as Quincy Jones, Jeffrey Osborne and Mos Def. Kamasi also started “The Next Step”, his own band. It featured two drummers, a bassist upright and an electric, a keyboard and piano, and a vocalist. Kamasi recently toured with the legendary musicians Harvey Mason, Stanley Clarke and Chaka Khan. He is featured on Harvey Mason’s “Chameleon”, and will also be on Stanley Clarke’s forthcoming album. Kamasi has also a groundbreaking new album on the record label Brainfeeder with his band “The Next Step”. It’s a three-disc masterpiece appropriately named “The Epic”. from http://kamasiwashington.com
