Kamasi Washington, one of the world's most brilliant and inspiring saxophonists, multi-instrumentalists, composers and contemporary jazz greats, will perform at Pink Noise Riga this summer. The artist's only Baltic concert will take place at Riga's Wondersala. The other stars of the festival, who will be in Riga on 25-26 July, will be announced by the organisers a little later.
Kamasi Washington, who has released a number of highly acclaimed jazz recordings including The Epic (2016), Heaven and Earth (2018) and Fearless Movement (2024), has been the subject of a number of colourful epithets by the world's media. He has been described as the "musical unicorn" and "saviour of jazz", "the high priest of the saxophone" and "the heir apparent to John Coltrane".
Washington's ambitious arrangements, which will also be heard in his and his band's performance at the festival in Riga, are rooted in post-bop, funk, soul and hip-hop, while his unique saxophone sound is well integrated into the music of greats such as Herbie Hancock, The Florence + the Machine, Kendrick Lamar, André 3000 and even Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers.