Jazz composer, multi-instrumentalist, and bandleader Kamasi Washington is known for pushing the boundaries of contemporary music, and he’s one of the headliners at this year’s Newport Jazz Festival.
He sat down recently with NHPR’s Patrick McNameeKing before a performance at Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club in Portsmouth, to discuss a life centered on expression, creativity, and connection.
This transcription has been lightly edited for clarity.
For Washington, the turning point in his life wasn't just learning how to play an instrument: It was discovering the right instrument to unlock his true self.
Washington: I can't say that I remember exactly when I started playing music, but I do remember what I felt when I started to love playing music. I was about 11, playing clarinet, and I was listening to saxophone players — and it just wasn't the same.
One day my dad left his saxophone out, and I picked it up and played it. It was like, "Oh man, I really want to do this." It felt like finding your voice. It felt like you've been speaking your whole life, but in a voice that doesn't feel like yours. All of a sudden, it feels like, "Oh yeah, this is what my voice sounds like."
Asked what advice he has for aspiring artists, Washington emphasizes that music requires balancing two distinct internal pursuits: expressing yourself and mastering the craft.
Washington: Both of those journeys are so big that they take a lifetime. You can't make people like it, and you can't make people understand it. But does it feel good to you? That's the only thing you can control: "I'm making music that I really love."
Beyond personal expression, Washington believes the true magic of music lies in its ability to dissolve the boundaries between people, turning a room full of strangers into a community.
Washington: When you hear someone singing a song about the love of their life, you don't necessarily think about their life — you think about the love of your life. It feels like they're singing about you. It's almost like that person knows your story.
Music is this magical tool that can take people who think they have no connection and, for an hour, make them feel totally connected.
What I always love is looking out into the audience and feeling like we're all in this together. I don't have to have grown up with you, shared your beliefs, spoken your language, or held the same passport to feel about you the way I feel about my own brother.
Kamasi Washington is one of this year’s headliners at the Newport Jazz Festival running from July 31 to August 2nd. He’ll be performing alongside trumpeter Chief Adjuah in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the births of John Coltrane and Miles Davis.
