London Jazz Festival 2015: Gilles Peterson presents Kamasi Washington, GoGo Penguin, Lynne Page, review

Kamasi Washington showcased the history of jazz in a remarkable set, says Jane Cornwell
Coltrane-esque riffs: Kamasi Washington
Santiago Felipe/FilmMagic
Jane Cornwell16 November 2015

The opening weekend of the EFG Jazz Festival, and the history of jazz was there in a remarkable set from Kamasi Washington, the American bandleader and saxophonist being hailed as the genre’s future.

Dressed in tricolour tam and flowing peach robes, a 21st-century shaman, he fired off Coltrane-esque riffs that swung and bopped as his longtime crew vibed and grooved around him. Tracks from The Epic, his acclaimed debut, were cherry-picked for maximum impact: Change of the Guard began with a grand piano fanfare à la McCoy Tyner and unfurled into a riot of funky organ, two crashing kit drums and that anything-goes tenor sax.

Debussy’s Clair de Lune was lifted by the celestial voice of Patrice Quinn, whose skittish gestures felt incantatory, like she was calling up Billie Holiday.

ReRun featured psychedelic keytar wig-outs and a sizzling upright bass solo from Miles Mosley; then came Washington’s dad Rickey, a calming presence on flute. Spiritual, organic, life affirming, this might have been the show of the festival. After a song about love and beauty, and dedicating the evening to Paris, Washington left the stage to a standing ovation, towards even greater things.

EFG London Jazz Festival until Sunday (efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk)

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