Home » Jazz Articles » In Pictures » Kamasi Washington, Trombone Shorty and George Clinton Ki...
Kamasi Washington, Trombone Shorty and George Clinton Kickoff a New Season of Outdoor Music
Kamasi Washington
saxophoneb.1981
Kamasi Washington is an imposing figure with his large physical stature, ornate flowing African-style robe, thick beard, and a large expansive mane of hair. He can craft ferocious sounds on tenor that conjure up latter-day
John Coltrane
saxophone1926 - 1967
Pharoah Sanders
saxophone, tenor1940 - 2022
Rickey Washington
saxophone
Miles Mosley
bass
Brandon Coleman
pianob.1988
Patrice Quinn
vocalsThe SummerStage concert series opened with a performance by
Herbie Hancock
pianob.1940
Trombone Shorty
tromboneb.1986
Tank
band / ensemble / orchestraTroy Andrews, aka Trombone Shorty, is arguably the hardest working man in showbiz, garnering comparisons to
James Brown
vocals1933 - 2006
Jimi Hendrix
guitar, electric1942 - 1970
"BK" Jackson
saxophone
Prince
multi-instrumentalist1958 - 2016
The Meters
band / ensemble / orchestra
George Clinton
vocals
King Curtis
saxophone1934 - 1971
Tower of Power
band / ensemble / orchestrab.1968
Blu Eye Extinction is a hardcore funk, hip-hop, punk, metal, and free jazz group led by front man, rapper, vocalist, and trombonist TJ Johnson. They performed an incredibly high-intensity high-energy short set that just killed.
There is no worldly experience like a P-Funk All-star spectacle. At the height of their popularity in the 1970s, a performance may include as many as 40 musicians on stage, resulting in barely controlled chaos and, often, musical brilliance. On this night, they included a comparatively modest total of 15-16 musicians on stage. George Clinton and Parliament's history dates back more than 60 years. The current incarnation of P-Funk includes approximately four generations of the band and three generations of Clintons. Clinton, who will soon be 81, came out of retirement to relaunch the Mothership. He was in great form, running around the stage, cheering on the soloists, urging the crowd, and singing some of the time. He also narrated We-Funk radio ("P-Funk (Make My Funk the P-Funk")) to hilarious effect.
There were at least five dedicated vocalists, and all the other musicians sang, creating a joyous noise. The music incorporated rap and more modern r&b elements. But the sound was squarely rooted in 1970s funk that Clinton and P-Funk were instrumental in inventing by adding a dose of psychedelic rock to soul and jazz-tinged Afro-futurism. In an interview in Nuvo, Clinton is quoted "Me and
Sun Ra
piano1914 - 1993
Jimi Hendrix
guitar, electric1942 - 1970
On stage, their signature sound was propelled by hard-driving rhythms, jazz-inspired horns, and a multitude of voices. The performance was characterized by constant motion, passages of instrumental brilliance furnished by the horn section, guitarist Michael Hampton (a P-Funker since 1975), and others, as well as endless audience sing-alongs ("we want the funk, give up the funk") and punctuated with occasional hilarity. There were stretches where the groove meandered for too long and too many crowd exhortations to "make some noise." But most of it was just fantastic. They played a greatest hits show with many highlights including, "Flashlight," "P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)," "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off this Sucker)," and "Up for the Down Stroke," which were all superb. They had been playing "Maggot Brain" (a great psychedelic classic from 1971) on this tour but did not play it last night.
SummerStage has a strict 10pm curfew and P-Funk's nearly two-hour set had to come to a halt. The ending of the concert coincided with a fabulous (unrelated) fireworks display in the distance. It was a fitting end to a magnificent night of great grooves and soulful rocking music. View Slideshow
Tags
In Pictures
Dave Kaufman
United States
New York
New York City
Summerstage
kamasi washington
John Coltrane
Pharoah Sanders
Rickey Washington
Dontae Winslow
Miles Mosely
Brandon Coleman
Patrice Quinn
trombone shorty
Tank and the Bangas
Jimi Hendrix
BK Jackson
Prince
The Meters
George Clinton
King Curtis
Comments
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Kamasi Washington Concerts
Sep
30
Tue
Kamasi Washington
Blue Note Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
Sep
30
Tue
Kamasi Washington
Blue Note Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
Oct
1
Wed
Kamasi Washington
Blue Note Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
Oct
1
Wed
Kamasi Washington
Blue Note Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
Oct
2
Thu
Kamasi Washington
Blue Note Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
Oct
2
Thu
Kamasi Washington
Blue Note Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
Oct
3
Fri
Kamasi Washington
Blue Note Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
Oct
3
Fri
Kamasi Washington
Blue Note Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
Support All About Jazz
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
Go Ad Free!
To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
New York City
Concert Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses
| More...
Buy Now
