Kamasi Washington is a Los Angeles native who has brought jazz to a whole new generation of listeners. He is a phenomenally talented saxophone player who has toured with big name acts, and is now touring under his own compositions with his own band, the West Coast Get Down, a collective of young jazz giants. I actually went to high school with Kamasi, and even back then I would hear him play and think, "whoa, this guy is amazing!"
"The Rhythm Changes" is a song off his 3-disc debut album "The Epic," released in 2015. After an extremely successful world tour, Kamasi has just released his follow-up album, "Harmony of Difference," and is touring in support of that album.
"Rhythm changes" is a well-known jazz term that refers to the chord progression from the classic jazz tune, "I've Got Rhythm," off of which countless jazz tunes, including this one, are based. In this case, vocalist Patrice Quinn uses that term as a play-on-words to refer to the rhythm of our lives constantly changing:
"Our minds, our bodies, our feelings, they change, they alter they leave us. No matter what happened before me, I'm here."
It is an extremely beautiful song all-around, and is sure to give you some perspective on the changes happening in your life.
You can learn more about Kamasi Washington here:
About the Curator, Caitlin Moss:
Drum set player and percussionist Caitlin Moss was born and raised in Los Angeles. She has performed at such venues as the Skirball Center and the Ford Amphitheatre and has toured nationally and internationally, including performances in Mexico and Cuba, with Grammy-winning bands La Santa Cecilia and Quetzal. She performs and records in Los Angeles as a freelance musician and as a member of several original bands. Caitlin is also teaching drum set, percussion, piano, and music production classes at a youth arts center operated by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.