Kamasi Washington, Kendrick Lamar, & the Current State of Jazz

Many people see jazz as an old form of music, steeped in the tradition. While its roots are over a century old, artists such as Kamasi Washington, Esperanza Spalding, Thundercat, Robert Glasper, and rap artists like Kendrick Lamar and The Roots are keeping jazz music more relevant than ever in the 21st century.
Dr. Jared Sims, Associate Professor and Director of Jazz Studies at West Virginia University, shares his thoughts on the current state of jazz and lays down some killer improv over a Notorious B.I.G. backing track!
Stay tuned to the end to listen to the entire jam. And check out the entire Stetsasonic song, Talkin All That Jazz here: • Stetsasonic - Talkin' ...
Follow the WVU Jazz Studies Program on Facebook: / wvujazzstudio and Instagram / wvu_jazzstudio - and check out their website: www.music.wvu.edu/jazz
Follow Jared on Instagram / jaredsims and check out his latest single, Awakenings, inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement: helpgive.to/Awakenings
Information on Linear Tube Audio's amplifiers can be found at www.lineartubeaudio.com/
This interview was recorded on May 21, 2020