Kamasi Washington, the modern jazz icon, recently announced his upcoming album titled Fearless Movement, via Instagram which is set to release on May 3 via Young. Alongside this announcement, he shared a captivating new song called “Prologue” through a music video directed by AG Rojas and choreographed by Samantha Blake Goodman12.
The album features a stellar lineup of collaborators, including the legendary André 3000, who contributes with his flute. Other notable musicians lending their talents include George Clinton, BJ The Chicago Kid, D-Smoke, and Taj and Ras Austin (the twin sons of California rapper Ras Kass). Regular collaborators such as Thundercat, Terrace Martin, Patrice Quinn, Brandon Coleman, and DJ Battlecat also make appearances.
Fearless Movement holds special significance for Kamasi Washington. He describes it as his dance album, not in a literal sense of electronic beats, but as a celebration of movement and expression. The birth of his daughter a few years ago profoundly influenced the music. She even contributed to the album by writing the melody for “Asha the First” when experimenting on the piano. Becoming a father made Washington acutely aware of both his mortality and immortality, and these themes resonate throughout the album.
Washington’s last album was the acclaimed double album, Heaven and Earth, released in 2018.
Washington teamed up with, Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, and 9th Wonder announced the formation of the supergroup Dinner Party. They released a single, “Freeze Tag”, and their debut extended play, Dinner Party. They released a new album, Enigmatic Society, in 2023.
Here’s a glimpse of the tracklist for “Fearless Movement”:
Watch “Prologue” video below.