Kamasi Washington Kamasi Washington/IL,USA 2019

Kamasi Washington, the leading figure in the current cutting-edge LA jazz scene as a symbol of the new generation of jazz golden age, has started in earnest this year with The Next Step, the strongest and most powerful group including Brandon Coleman! Their latest overwhelming live performance is already here! … The members of The Next Step are Kamasi on sax, vocalist Patrice Pitman-Kin, who is also an actress, Brandon Coleman, a superb keyboardist who is also busy with his own activities, Ryan Porter on trombon, Gab Noel on bass who is rapidly gaining prominence, Tony Austin on drums, Ronald Bruner Jr., also a drummer whose father is a famous soul drummer and whose brother is Thundercat, and Ricky Washington, aka Papa Washington. These talented musicians weave a universe of sound that is committed to collective expression, in stark contrast to the centripetal jazz musicians of the past, who abandoned pre-established harmony in order to perfect the art of improvisation and immersed themselves solely in individual introspection. The show’s opening song, “Street Fighter Mass,” features Kamasi and Ricky’s spectacular blows, Ryan, Coleman, and Gab’s intense solos, and Tony and Ronald’s explosive twin drums, which sound like Tony Williams and Dennis Chambers exploding at the same time, overwhelming the audience with a performance 100 times more intense than the studio version. Of course, there are such intense exchanges of improvisation, but Kamasi, who has experience in numerous sessions in fields other than jazz, such as Kendricks Lamar and David Bowie, always maintains a sense of balance that is unique to him, and always calmly keeps an eye on the overall picture. In addition, the pitch-black West Coast groove songs that are the true essence of this band, which contain all kinds of music, such as the “One Nation Under a Groove” manner of the P-Funk group led by boss George Clinton and the mass hypnosis of Sun Ra, are also pleasant. Anyway, the spiritual horn section of Kamasi, Ricky and Ryan Porter throughout the album, the genius Coleman who produces sounds like Nord synth and Hammond with ferocious force, Gab who supports the bottom with a variety of funky and uplifting grooves including bowing, Ronald who keeps an eye on the whole and beats out stimulating rhythms all the time, and Tony who draws eloquent syncopation with unparalleled precision like a machine and gives you goosebumps with his twin transcendent drums. In this way, Kamasi’s saxophone playing, which is unlike anyone else’s, grasps and controls the whole as if he were a scientist, and always has an intellectual atmosphere, is completely genre-less and very cool. If I had to compare it to something, it would be the king Miles Davis… Of course, the solos of the skilled members are also tightly woven into the album, making it full of highlights. And let’s not forget Patrice’s spiritual and soulful vocals, which beautifully color the divine and magnificent Kamasi universe. Live at Pitchfork Midwinter Festival, Rubloff Auditorium at the Institute of Chicago, IL February.16.2019 EX-AUD 2019 Original Remaster 95 min Disc-1 1. Street Fighter Mas 2. Connection 3. The Rhythm Changes Disc-2 1. Truth 2. Giant Feeling 3. Fists of Fury – Band Intro Kamasi Washington – Saxophones Rickey Washington -Soprano Saxophone,Flute Brandon Coleman – Piano Keyboards Ryan Porter – Trombone Patrice Quinn – Vocals Gabe Noel – Electric Bass Tony Austin – Drums Ronald Bruner Jr. -Drums