Nikki Birch | October 21, 2024
Grammy-nominated saxophonist Kamasi Washington brought down the house at his Tiny Desk Concert. He played selections from three of his albums, showcasing his ability, with the support of his killer band, to go from high energy to reflective ballads while never losing danceability.
Washington has said, “The kind of music I make is not necessarily associated with dance, even though I feel like the more expression in the music, the more it can inspire you to move.” To drive that point home, Washington’s special guest was the legendary DJ Battlecat, one of the pioneers of the West Coast sound. The DJ is responsible for mixing in a little sample of the rapper Kendrick Lamar shouting out the saxophonist — “keep a horn on me / that Kamasi” — at the top of “Street Fighter Mas.”
Also accompanying Washington are his father, flutist and soprano saxophonist Rickey Washington, who you can often see looking at his son with pride. The other musicians behind the Desk are keys wizard Brandon Coleman, Tony Austin with the heartbeat, Miles Mosley holding down the low end, trombonist Ryan Porter and Patrice Quinn on vocals. There’s so much more that can be said about this Tiny Desk Concert, but sometimes, you just have to let the music speak for itself.
SET LIST
“Lesanu”
“Street Fighter Mas”
“The Rhythm Changes”
“Asha The First”
MUSICIANS
Kamasi Washington: tenor saxophone
Rickey Washington: flute, soprano saxophone
Ryan Porter: trombone
Brandon Coleman: keys
Tony Austin: drums
DJ Battlecat: DJ, percussion
Miles Mosley: bass
Patrice Quinn: vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Nikki Birch
Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
Audio Technical Director: Josephine Nyounai
Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Mitra I. Arthur, Alanté Serene
Audio Engineer: Tiffany Vera Castro
Production Assistant: Elle Mannion
Photographer: Estefania Mitre
Tiny Desk Team: Kara Frame, Ashley Pointer, Hazel Cills, Josh Newell
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
#nprmusic #tinydesk #kamasiwashington