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
