Kamasi Washington - "Change of the Guard" | Jazz Night in America

Watch the full concert here: • Kamasi Washington's 'T...
Saxophonist and composer Kamasi Washington, 34, has been working on releasing his now three-CD, nearly three-hour, choir-and-strings-assisted album The Epic for the better part of five years now. Even longer, if you consider how long his 10-piece working band has known each other: Most of its members, known collectively as The Next Step or The West Coast Get Down, have known each other since at least high school decades ago in South Central Los Angeles, and in some instances well before that. Even as their diverse careers have made it difficult to focus exclusively on this band - Washington is, for instance, the saxophone player heard on the new Flying Lotus and Kendrick Lamar albums - they've all continually committed to experimenting with a brand of jazz that resonates with their own generation's lived experience.
Jazz Night In America features Kamasi Washington and the music of The Epic at its release party, and in its full glory. From the Regent Theater in Downtown L.A., Washington presents his new album with his working band, a choir, a string section and plenty of special guests.
SETLIST
3:50 - "Change of the Guard"
MUSICIANS
Kamasi Washington, Tony Austin, Ronald Bruner, Stephen Bruner, Brandon Coleman, Cameron Graves, Miles Mosley, Ryan Porter, Patrice Quinn, Battlecat, Munyungo Jackson, The Gaslamp Killer, Terrace Martin, Leon Mobley, Ras G, Dwight Trible, Rickey Washington, Dontae Winslow, Miguel Atwood:Ferguson, Paul Cartwright, Yvette Devereauz, Atryom Manukyan, Ginger Murphy, Tylana Renga, Molly Rogers, Jim Simone, Andrea Witt, Nia Andrews, Trenyce Cobbins, Thalma de Freitas, Taylor Graves, Charles Jones, Dawn Norsleet, Steven Wayne, Mashica Winslow
CREDITS
Producers: Alex Ariff, Patrick Jarenwattananon, Nick Michael, Suraya Mohamed, Simon Rentner, Katie Simon / Editors: Nick Michael, Morgan McCloy / Videographers: Morgan McCloy, Nick Michael, Benjamin B. Morris, Doriane Raiman / Event Producer and Promoter: Andrew Lojero, ArtDontSleep / Assistant Producer: Colin Marshall / Asst. Videographer: Aaron Ashby / Lighting Director: Jerome Cushing / Audio Mixing and Mastering: Daddy Kev, Cosmic Zoo / House Audio Engineers: Nic Monaco, Kyle Berzle / Additional Audio: Alex Ariff / Supervising Sound Editor: Suraya Mohamed / Special Thanks: The Regent Theater, Atom Factory, Banch Abegaze, Many Giangardella, Mitchell Frank, Liz Garo, Jasper Kuo / Executive Producer: Anya Grundmann
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[@VivaLaZee]

What a great metaphor for the rise of the next generation of jazz.

[@owenthompson5292]

Just saw Kamasi at the North Sea Jazz festival, he started the evening saying that he had something special for us. And me with my sceptical and cynical self said, yarda yarda yarda, I've heard it all before. However, after the first track and with tears in my eyes, my jaw just dropped in stunned silence. This music represents 60 years of pain, craft, endeavour, talent, legacy and deep black spiritualism. I say this, after much sober reflection. Kamasi Washington, in the company of a full orchestra and an 18 piece choir delivered something so majestic, stunning and beautiful that it left me completely stunned and overwhelmed.

[@funky2212]

me too at NSJ. Totally agree!!!

[@andrewrobinson427]

Am so excited about going to see this gentleman play this year. Pure genius and love of music

[@reidprice6008]

6:35 center of the crowd. Dude is FEELIN' it! :)

[@birdsunion3294]

'S lovin' it

[@Luviiis]

This is just too much for me. Genius musicians. I just can't unlisten this. Sublime!

[@Seannthe503]

Dying right now. What did I just see/hear?

[@milatroz]

saw the man twice, totally life changing, beautiful and undescribable stuff

[@ismaelacostaservetto_2187]

I feel like a had lived a thousand lives while hearing this.

[@s.g.187]

Had the pleasure of seeing him live. Better than life. Got Damn.. this was his closing song💛

[@Pikaponyplaysmc]

they just all seem so happy

[@Upgrade2344]

Myke C-Town killing it on the trumpet.

[@sunzu3751]

😂😂😂 I thought the same thing!!!

[@NathanLevMusic]

My favorite thing is watching how much fun they're all having!

[@faunoram]

Tears of joy ! Love and light peoples !!

[@jazzfusioner9840]

Truth....

[@scottt5562]

Love the violinist playing a sideways version of 'The Lark Ascending' with Kamasi's dream.

[@CertifiedSkank]

I saw these guys at Pickathon a couple years ago. Most difficult stage change ever.

[@MisterTMH]

I saw Kamasi Washington and the next step live in Melbourne Australia on March 22nd 2016. They melted my face !

[@123bluesssman]

20:05 so beautiful i am crying rn

[@mcniestro96]

I am crying too

[@PartridgeFamm]

I just love how alive it is on that stage. I would die for the chance to play with them.

[@vorhangleiste]

Kamasi is amongst us. That´s nice. That´s very, very niccce.

[@hiphopgranni]

Kamasi Blows !! Goodgotyagotdayum ...that felt good !

[@matthiasstaber9216]

I'm not a native speaker, but... I have to memorize "goodgotyagotdayum", especially to refer to Kamasis music

[@RactupusRex]

The male singer at the end has a heavenly voice

[@calvinwalker7218]

dropped the mic once i seen thundercat...

[@jhandby]

That piano solo, holy shit

[@JungleSoundzperc]

Out of this galaxy........

[@KoolKojoS]

12:51 that Hearbreaks + Setbacks groove, classic Bruner bros.

[@BarryArgyle]

The best thing ever since Sun Ra!

[@djackwirr]

OUT-FREEKING STANDING!!! :) I gotta hear these folks live.

[@stevenkillthatbowl]

this is fucking insane

[@lukas_koe]

That violin solo is sick af

[@Martvandelay]

A true masterpiece ❤️❤️❤️

[@danielpaesbarbosa5231]

Astonishing and breathtaking!!!!!

[@RussellAngelico]

I was at this show. Tears a flowing.

[@matthiasstaber9216]

what a dream

[@alexisgraterol6707]

JaZz nuevo de verdad con fundamento!!!!

[@MrAdobo77]

The keys be killin em all with those fingers.

[@GrooveJuggernaut]

Amazing!!!

[@rcdc1ty]

so much fucking love for this

[@robbromhead7098]

Mind actually blown.

[@kirkanderson6640]

the lick at 13:37

[@louisgardner5580]

Kirk Anderson 1337

[@C3saruribe]

Es como entrar al País de las maravillas.

[@bradforddedmon5017]

Just saw him in Philly at the World Cafe' Live awesome show !

[@paulhickey6896]

What a trip!

[@gregoryisom8333]

That (Change Of The Guard) Story was every bit like a classic (Twilight Zone) great Rod Sterling story of Jack Klugman (A Game Of Pool!) The band and Orchestra Leader gave me the classic feel of band Leader the late great (Charles Stepney) with his young artists Minnie Ripperton & Ramsey Lewis, to name a few outside of Maurice White & Earth Wind & Fire!

[@JermaineATL]

this song is still amazing :D

[@adfke8ncx]

Me encanta como suena el contrabajo aquí!

[@SeherSeven]

oh shoot!!!! Im excited how it starts...

[@reginalddawson9258]

Whoa!

[@lvrbass]

Incredible violinist

[@Trip8201]

Man this song reminds me of Cowboy Bebop so much #EPIC

[@BrandonJones-jm3oc]

Exactly i knew i wasnt tripping bro.

[@joeltopgun]

THUNDERCAT ON BASS

[@grownman1017]

I spotted him also

[@Arminchen]

Pretty wicked, wow! I'm into it :-)

[@aldoruggiero1664]

amazing :D

[@gurudeutube]

Phenomenal.ThankYouSoMuchIwasReallyNeedingSomeBeautifulColorsInMyLife,AndWhatAsoundThatPoursFromYouAll.

[@loubest3935]

What scale is the violinist improvising in while Kamasi's talking about his dream? Sounds mad

[@kostaslb2368]

Sounds like asian stuff. Probably some sort of pentatonic. Kamasi has a lot of world music influences

[@seanharrison2752]

B minor pentatonic

[@maidsincadiz]

Oh dear!

[@macisr]

Goddamn!

[@josephclark7905]

Some Rollin good times 🤣

[@TheTTWT]

HOMELAND HOMELAND HOMELAND HOMELAND HOMELAND HOMELAND HOMELAND HOMELAND HOMELAND HOMELAND HOMELAND HOMELAND

[@CouchEconomyTX]

Who tf put an ad in this video

[@auroradarienzo]

[@faunoram]

Epic is just an useless word to describe this cosmic event !!

[@jazzfusioner9840]

Truth.....

[@farbentwickler]

I'm not worthy of that 🙌

[@peterguitarhowitt268]

Thanks for the post.Where was this filmed?

[@musicglenn]

trying to understand what he's saying at 3:48 - "that's the plan?" "that's the planet?" it's the final line of the whole story and i can't understand it ...

[@snor64kel]

The way I understood it was that the plan is not to get good to overthrow the gatekeeper, but just get good.

[@colinthorn]

Never replied to a four-year-old comment before, but that's extraordinary, I have exactly the same doubt. I think it's just perfect as it is, it works great both ways ...

[@grownman1017]

He said "that's the plan"

[@danielsuarez1431]

Nayib Bukele on piano!!! 😅

[@danielsuarez1431]

What happens at 4:25??? 🤔

[@thedoubleb1234]

oohh shiit 12:58

[@DelhiPanda]

My face is like 13:57 :D

[@mdr222]

dat squeak at 4:30 tho

[@geinikan1kan]

+Pepe AtScratch that's the squeak of quotidian life's reminder that the origin of jazz sweeps even the hairball belly up into the slash of sunlight on a dark night

[@esibo8875]

+geinikan1kan What the hell does this mean?

[@geinikan1kan]

kofi nantwi What does this meaning have to do with hell?

[@frankbrenner4852]

You're a goon. Next.

[@dannwe123]

Who else spotted "battlecat" in the credits haha rip thundercat...

[@m.2456]

Mephistopheles battlecat is a pretty legendary producer...

[@grownman1017]

I KNEW THAT WAS THUNDERCAT!!!!!!!!! Iwas looking at the dude with the guitar like "is that........is that Thundercat?" Makes sense, both California natives. I absolutely love Thundercat

[@elodiedazur]

Difficile de ne pas lancer son cœur au milieu de ces musiciens en train d'harmoniser le chaos qu'ils ont convoqué...

[@grownman1017]

Is that Thundercat on the guitar??

[@adfke8ncx]

Yes.

[@ggo1950]

there is a God.

[@birdsunion3294]

3:50 sorry

[@uvion]

Anyone else think that violin player looks like Frank from Always Sunny in Philadelphia?

[@davidalesia6881]

yeah, like a young, and still a boss, Frank.

[@Casp_istaken]

we had to watch this as a school work in finland and tbh its pretty good but not jazz isnt my music taste. ja moi kaikki suomalaiset kivimaalta

[@MrWallythedog]

....but sometimes it takes a snooze.

[@sashakingcrimson187]

sasha king crimson ₪₪₪₪

[@tashfiqchoudhury]

RTJ3

[@familyplanetproductions8002]

Battlecat???..

[@abeerharoon2814]

Family Planet Productions Thundercat!

[@robertmarles1218]

Who the hell disliked this?

[@Epicasfuk]

Dark Souls?

[@selmergrunon]

listen to coltrane ...more musical and intense !

[@flower5185]

+freedom yeah, pretty disappointing solo from kamasi here. just lacked flow and musicality, so much dull, jerky back and forth between a couple of notes. dude's good, but this performance was a bit lackluster for me. and as this other guy said, if you dig kamasi you need to listen to coltrane. Listen to the records Meditations, Om, A Love Supreme, Giant Steps.

[@AlmostLeroy]

I think Kamasi's solo was good. I understand the jerky note critique, but this song is not suppose to be a standard nor is it "old jazz", it's on an entirely different realm of it's own which contents were based on a dream. I personally like the "jerky note" solo, it emphasizes on pensive nature of the events that happened within said dream. And can it with that "not Coltrane" crap. Yes he was a great musician, but leave room for other musicians to grow instead of comparing every saxophonist to John Coltrane.

[@flower5185]

AlmostLeroy I agree with you that comparisons to Coltrane are very limiting to a musician now, but you have to admit that Kamasi is mining from that period of jazz - mid-60s to the early-70s. I think his performance here was decent, just didn't quite live up to the hype after hearing such accolades about his live performance.

[@MichaelCasanovaMusic]

The one criticism I have of Kamasi is that his solos tend to be a bit lacklustre at times. Especially on the record

[@pnojazz]

@flower, don’t base your opinion on KW based upon one concert.

[@socialendtyemo]

βαλε και καναν μουσικο ακομα ρε καρνταση