In May, Kamasi Washington released Fearless Movement, which was a long time coming: The project was Washington’s first album since 2018’s Heaven And Earth. Now, with a fresh album to promote, he has taken his talents to NPR’s iconic Tiny Desk Concert series.
His four-song setlist featured “Lesanu,” “Street Fighter Mas,” “The Rhythm Changes,” and “Asha The First.” Of particular note is one of Washington’s band members: Rickey Washington, a flutist, soprano saxophonist, and Kamasi’s father. Kamasi himself was in top form, as he’s fresh off a tour in support of the new album.
Washington previously called Fearless Movement his “dance album,” saying, “It’s not literal. Dance is movement and expression, and in a way it’s the same thing as music — expressing your spirit through your body. That’s what this album is pushing.” He also said, “Being a father means the horizon of your life all of a sudden shows up. My mortality became more apparent to me, but also my immortality — realizing that my daughter is going to live on and see things that I’m never going to see. I had to become comfortable with this, and that affected the music that I was making.”
Check out Washington’s full Tiny Desk performance above.