KAMASI WASHINGTON BRINGS JAZZ APPRECIATION TO THE BOWL w/ MUSIC ICONS

Kamasi Washington and band at the Hollywood Bowl, July 18, 2021 by Farah Sosa on behalf of the LA Phil

ONE OF THE FIRST LIVE SHOWS BACK SINCE THE PANDEMIC

A summer evening brought me to the Hollywood Bowl for a night of local music as well as my first show back since the pandemic. The talents, Earl Sweatshirt and Kamasi Washington, also shared this quality as many of the crowd did, which made the show that much more special. Hats off to the Hollywood Bowl and KCRW for putting together an eclectic lineup of Los Angelenos.

I enjoyed watching everyone find their seats as I navigated to my own, a box seat for media. There, I met writers from “The Free Jazz Collective” as well as reps for KCRW. Many were here for Washington, however I was very intrigued to see what Earl would do. Most of the crowd was thrown off a bit during his set but there were die-hard Sweatshirt fans sprinkled among them. Earl had a live band on the keys, which amazed me as this was a first for him. He brought longtime DJ Black Noi$e as support, who brought it back to a traditional rap show. The band and DJ took turns on songs, with Earl playing new renditions of old tracks such as “523” which hadn’t been performed since 2014. Surprising myself, Earl also opted to play some new tracks, some of which blended in nicely with the set. Rapper NoName sat close, cheering and recording Earl on.

The rapper knew he wasn’t in his traditional element of fans, as he quipped about the closest members of the audience to the stage chowing down on turkey dinners which was making him nervous. He shouted out the “welfare crowd” as he pointed to the very top of the bowl, saying he sees and appreciates them. In my opinion, this was the most mature I had seen Sweatshirt, who has had his own demons plague his celebrity status and personality. At this giant venue sitting 17,000 people, he seemed to be having a fun time rolling through “The Mint” and “Grief.” His hour long set delivered more than 20 songs, showcasing versatility in Earl’s catalogue. At first glance, Sweatshirt’s pairing with Washington may have risen some eyebrows, but he proved that he can hold his own in an amphitheater of older, jazz enthusiasts. Check out the set list here!

During an intermission, KCRW DJ Anne Litt spoke of the importance of live music, and how welcoming it felt to have a full audience back at the Bowl. As the audience cheered, the lights dimmed and Kamasi Washington took the stage with basically the entire West Coast Get Down Group. Seeing 15 band members jam to introduce the remainder of the show was nothing short of special. Washington welcomed the crowd, announcing that it was his first show back, and then immediately jumping into a band jam. The music carried the artists, with each getting an introduction accompanied by a solo. Washington then went into “Truth,” talking of the importance of pursuing truth, especially after the pandemic and not having guaranteed time to do what you’d like. During this song, five different melodies collided in an attempt to find truth.

Highlights of the band included upright bass player, Mike Mosley, which made the instrument sound like an electric guitar at times, as well as Washington’s father, Ricky Washington on flute, who Kamasi praised for keeping him off the streets and turning his son to music instead. DJ Battlecat, a hiphop pioneer was also on deck. A fun sight was seeing Thundercat as a part of the band, jamming on his bass next to his brother, Ronald Bruner Jr., on drums. A wholesome moment was shared when Washington cleared the air on who brought back jazz to the mainstream. He stated that he was always getting questioned about how it feels to be responsible for it, however, he quickly dismissed this and offered up the truth: Thundercat was the first to bring jazz back. The crowd which featured the Haim sisters cheered on Thundercat as he soaked in the appreciation which was followed by a solo.

Towards the end of the show, it was almost impossible to think that the performance could get any better. Washington promised surprise guests and he certainly delivered. After a touching performance of “Sun Kissed Child,” a song which “spilled out of me,” Washington stated after the birth of his first child. His daughter watched from the audience, it being her first concert, as Washington delivered a beautiful rendition dedicated to her. Before performing a cut off his soundtrack for the Michelle Obama documentary titled “Announcement,” Washington introduced guest Terrace Martin and rappers G Perico, Promise, and Daylyt, all local rap and hip hop heroes. The supergroup played “Pig Feet,” fro their collaboration in 2020. This was the punctuation mark, or so we thought.

Once this performance ended, Kamasi Washington spoke of his contribution to Metallica’s compilation record, The Metallica Blacklist celebrating 30 years of The Black Album. On that record, Washington covers “My Friend of Misery” which he asked if he could perform tonight, which the audience enthusiastically obliged. Before they started, Washington welcomed special guests Robert Trujillo and Kirk Hammett, bassist and guitarist of Metallica respectively. This cover was dark and added mystery to Washington’s bright jazz playing, only improving the existing track. The crowd barely had time to recover before the band kicked in to their final song, “Fists of Fury.” For my first show back as well as many at this performance, it was an experience that cannot be fathomed but exists in reality. For that, I am forever grateful. Check out the set list here!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!