VIEW FROM THE CROWD: Kamasi Washington, the Modern King of Jazz, in The Hague

Kamasi Washington is an undisputed master of his craft. The saxophonist has often been hailed as one of the best modern day jazz musicians, and it isn’t very hard to see why. Just take a look at his sprawling back catalogue for a good indicator of his multi-faceted ability, one which will expand next month on the release of new album Heaven and Earth. Last night, Washington and his brilliant live band (featuring his father, Rickey) treated The Hague’s packed Paard to cuts from across his entire catalogue, including the stunning Truth (a song which features five simultaneous melodies to represent everyone being beautifully different), bustling Fists of Fury and the picturesque The Space Traveler’s Lullaby. That’s not even mentioning a drum solo-slash-battle between Washington’s two percussionists, one which spanned a solid twenty minutes. All three songs formed out part of an 8-song set which was nothing short of spectacular and will surely rank high in many year-end lists. Jack Parker dove into the crowd to give you all an impression of what went down over the course of last night’s two-hour long show.

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Heaven and Earth is due on 22 June via Young Turks.