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June 22nd was the first day of the 2016 Ottawa Jazz Festival. Of course I had a pass – I never, ever miss the Ottawa Jazz Festival – but I had every intention of giving this opening day a pass. For some reason there was only one act scheduled for the evening and it was someone I had never heard of. Plus the show was set to take place indoors in the NAC Theatre which would negate the standing-under-a-tree-enjoying-beers-with-good-friends factor so, no, I was going to sit this one out.
But at the last minute a good friend of mine told me I should definitely try to see this Kamasi Washington guy. Personally I can only find so much time to discover new artists and I rely on trusted sources like my friend Rob to help keep me on top of things. Though I knew the show could sell out (another downside of this being an indoor show) I raced home from my teaching gig, hopped on my bike and rode like a madman along the canal to the National Arts Centre, making it though the door and taking one of the last dozen seats in the venue about thirty seconds before the show started (literally*).
I was still panting and sweating when Kamasi Washington started blowing into his saxophone and by the time my brow was dry I was enthralled and on the edge of my seat, but I don’t think my heart ever really settled down. Though he was not yet thirty years old this Kamasi Washington fellah not only had it together, he was already creating a seriously new and important voice in the modern jazz world and it was incredibly exciting to witness.
The sound harkened back to guys like John Coltrane and Pharaoh Sanders in terms of timbre and musical purity but reached even beyond these legends. The vibe was familiar, buzzy and ancient but the feel was new, young and fresh. Nothing was derivative but it all seemed to have a solid foundation.
And no wonder.
A few songs in Kamasi introduced one of his…was it seven?…incredible sidemen onstage as someone he had met at jazz camp when they were both about nine or ten years old. Later Kamasi recalled meeting one of the two drummers at his third birthday party, “and he was already an amazing drummer!” These guys (young as they are) have been playing and growing together as serious musicians for their entire lives. And they were clearly under fine tutelage; eventually Kamasi Washington brought out his own father, who spent the rest of the show more than keeping up with this next generation of musicians.
I’ve often wondered what it would have been like to sit in a theatre and hear a young John Coltrane or Oscar Peterson for the first time. Imagine just walking in to Massey Hall cold on May 15th, 1953 and experiencing the staggering talent of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus and Max Roach for the first time, live.
After this concert I have an idea what those experiences might have felt like. The music was just so surprising, so engaging, so soothing even when it reached frantic heights…it was truly one of the most satisfying jazz concerts I’ve ever seen.
It was a baptism.
After the show I dropped $60 on Kamasi’s debut album without a moment’s hesitation. It’s a four-record set called The Epic that features both a choir and an orchestra along with his standard outfit which might sound a bit excessive (if not downright arrogant) for a debut record, but in reality Washington’s album is almost as astounding as his live show. I’ve spun those four records dozens of times since and I’ve already well gotten my money’s worth.
So a huge thanks to my friend Rob. If not for his recommendation I would probably would have sat at home watching Law & Order reruns and would still be ignorant to the amazing talent that is Kamasi Washington.
*For young ‘uns: Literally means it actually happened that way, like it literally happened. When you say “literally” you mean to say “figuratively”. Look ‘em up. Geez.
Todd Man Out 