Background
Washington was born in Los Angeles, California, United States, to musical parents and educators, and was raised in Inglewood, California.
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Kamasi Washington
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Washington is mainly known for his tenor playing. He is a graduate of the Academy of Music of Alexander Hamilton High School (Los Angeles) in the Beverlywood neighborhood. Washington next enrolled in University of California, Los Angeles"s Department of Ethnomusicology.
There, he began playing with numerous faculty members such as Kenny Burrell, Billy Higgins and band leader and trumpeter Gerald Wilson and released the Young Jazz Giants album in 2004.
He has since played along with a musically diverse group of musicians including Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Horace Tapscott, Gerald Wilson, Lauryn Hill, Nas, Snoop Dogg, George Duke, Chaka Khan, Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Francisco Aguabella, the Pan Afrikaan People"s Orchestra and Raphael Saadiq. Washington played saxophone on Kendrick Lamar"s To Pimp a Butterfly and released a solo album, The Epic in 2015.
Washington has played and arranged for the following music festivals:
Central Avenue Jazz Festival
Fifth Annual Leimert Park African Art and Music Festival, September 1, 2013, Leimert Park, Los Angeles
Third Annual Leimert Park African Art and Music Festival, 2011, Leimert Park, Los Angeles
KKJZ First Annual Summer Benefit Concert, June 20, 2013, Walt Disney Concert Hall, with drummer Harvey Mason"s Chameleon group.
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Nationality
United States