There is no force in this country, besides maybe the Olympics, that brings people together quite like jazz, and there is no force in contemporary jazz quite like Kamasi Washington.

The Los Angeles native recently brought West Coast vibes to an East Coast institution as The Birchmere brimmed with energy and barbeque. It felt only fitting to see a modern giant in a setting that comes heavy handed with jazz, rock, and blues history.

With the release of The Epic in 2015, Washington garnered international acclaim for his cinematic sound and virtuosic solos, but this current iteration of the Kamasi Washington experience has a much different feel almost a decade on.

Stream The Epic by Kamasi Washington on Spotify:

While Washington and his band still built a massive sound, there was a lightness about the performance that accentuated the massive solos even further in a sold-out show at The Birchmere on July 31. Washington has clearly embraced his role as a leader in West Coast music through the collective West Coast Get Down.

One of the highlights of the show for me was the space given to hip-hop legend DJ Battlecat to spin incredible mixes on the turntables. The heavy hip-hop moments were balanced with soothing vocals from Patrice Quinn and soulful keys from Brandon Coleman. Washington’s tenor sax still sealed most songs perfectly, but the show was less a showcase of his talents and more a carefully curated tour of the West Coast jazz scene.

While many didn’t always see the vision of the latest record Fearless Movement, the show at The Birchmere was a testament to Washington’s staying power and his love and understanding of the flexibility of jazz.

Here are some photos of Kamasi Washington performing at The Birchmere on July 31, 2024. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Gabriel Adler.