Albums of the Year 2024 - Number 100

Described as his 'dance album' Kamasi's spiritual sound finds new tempos and fiery energy, dealing with raw and real emotions inspired by his first time experience of fatherhood. Built up with with real life inspirations (his three year old daughter's piano dabbling) and collaboration (Andre 3000 on the flute, the vocals of George Clinton and D Smoke, the bass playing of Thundercat) Kamasi's transcendant sax soundscapes are richer than ever, and he remains firmly a key figure of the contemporary jazz canon. - Georgia, Rough Trade Office | Albums of the Year So Far 2024

Kamasi Washington releases his new album, Fearless Movement, via Young. Washington calls Fearless Movement his dance album. “It’s not literal,” Washington says. “Dance is movement and expression, and in a way it’s the same thing as music—expressing your spirit through your body. That’s what this album is pushing.” Dance as an embodied form of expression signals a shift in focus for Washington. Where previous albums dealt with cosmic ideas and existential concepts, Fearless Movement focuses in on the everyday, an exploration of life on earth. This change in scope is due in large part to the birth of Washington’s first child a few years ago.

“Being a father means the horizon of your life all of a sudden shows up,” says Washington. “My mortality became more apparent to me, but also my immortality—realizing that my daughter is going to live on and see things that I’m never going to see. I had to become comfortable with this, and that affected the music that I was making.”

The album features Washington’s daughter—who wrote the melody to “Asha The First” during some of her first experimentations on the piano—as well as a host of collaborators new and old. André 3000 appears on flute, George Clinton lends his voice, as do BJ The Chicago Kid, Inglewood rapper D-Smoke and Taj and Ras Austin of Coast Contra, the twin sons of West Coast legend Ras Kass. Washington further enlisted lifelong friends and collaborators Thundercat, Terrace Martin, Patrice Quinn, Brandon Coleman, DJ Battlecat and more.

1. Lesanu

2. Asha The First featuring Thundercat, Taj Austin, Ras Austin

3. Computer Love featuring Patrice Quinn, DJ Battlecat, Brandon Coleman

4. The Visionary featuring Terrace Martin

5. Get Lit featuring George Clinton

6. Dream State featuring André 3000

7. Together featuring BJ the Chicago Kid

8. The Garden Path

9. Interstellar Peace (The Last Stance)

10. Road to Self (KO)

11. Lines in the Sand

12. Prologue