Kamasi Washington

Kamasi Washington is a jazz saxophonist who has emerged as a prominent figure in the Los Angeles jazz scene as his 2015 album, The Epic, served as a showcase for a new batch of talent the city had produced. He frequently collaborates with artists that work in hip-hop or hip-hop hybrids with jazz and/or electronic music. His solo work, on the other hand, tends to be relatively more of the traditionalist kind and leans towards classic post-bop with a contemporary bent. His albums are always highly polished in their presentation and often have a fairly expansive scope, with clear melodic lines and detailed instrumental arrangements that also regularly include large orchestras and vocal choirs. There are Pharoah Sanders and John Coltrane influences that can be detected in his playing style.