Prodigous saxophonist, composer and hip hop instrumentalist, Kamasi Washington will be heading down under this year to perform at Soulfest, alongside Lauryn Hill, Black Star, De La Soul and more. For those in Sydney who can’t make it to the festival, one VERY sideshow has now been announced.
Widely considered 2015’s answer to John Coltrane, Washington’s album The Epic, is exactly that. Nearly three hours of sprawling, dense, brilliant jazz – from lightning fast sax/trumpet/bass dances to soul-tinged blues to politically charged pieces and everything in between.
The Epic has been released under Flying Lotus’ label Brainfeeder, and features performances from Thundercat, Miles Mosley and plenty more. Washington has also worked extensively within hip hop and R&B, performing with Snoop Dogg, Nas and Lauryn Hill among others and was featured on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly.
On October 22, Washington will be taking to the tiny stage of The Basement in Sydney. I can personally guarantee you will never have another chance to witness this man in action in such an intimate setting.
Listen to the full album on Spotify here:
Gig details:
Thurs October 22: The Basement, Sydney
Tickets here
Tickets start at $59 + BF
Dinner packages available from $99
Tickets on sale Thurs Sep 8 at 9am
Jhene Aiko has also announced Soulfest sideshows in Melbourne and Sydney. Meanwhile, Brisbane will see Soulfest sideshows from Lauryn Hill, Black Star (Mos Def x Talib Kweli) and Mary J Blige with Jill Scott. Full details here.
Oh and if you’ve got two hours to spare, check this out: