Jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington has released his cover version of Metallica's 'My Friend Of Misery', Blabbermouth reports. This version sounds nothing like metal - Kamasi Washington has turned 'My Friend Of Misery' into an astral jazz song, insisting on virtuosity, common to the original. This cover is one of more than 50 songs which are included on Metallica's massive new covers compilation called 'The Metallica Blacklist', which features artists' takes on 'Black Album' songs.

Sally Shapiro

Indigo De Souza share an energy-driven indie rock song 'Kill Me' and an impressive video to go with; Kamasi Washington released 'Sun Kissed Child' from 'Liberated / Music For The Movement Vol. 3'; La Luz shares some light-weight blues on 'In The Country'; Sally Shapiro want to go dancing on 'Fading Away'; Dean Blunt is very moody on 'The Rot'; Jeffrey Lewis' title of his new song 'Now We've Beat That Stupid Virus We Can Get Back to Our Stupid Lives' says it all.

Trent Reznor, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, Kamasi Washington, Beastie Boys are nominated for 2020 Emmy awards, in music categories, uDiscover Music reports. Trent Reznor got his nomination for 'Watchmen', Kamasi Washington is in with 'Becoming', while Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo are recognized for their work in 'The Black Godfather'. Beastie Boys Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz and their creative partner and director Spike Jonze are nominated for Apple TV’s 'Beastie Boys Story' in five categories, including for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special. Check all the nominees here.

An immensely talented, LA-based collective that has grown from a group of school friends using jazz as a form of escapism to become one of the most influential forces in contemporary music - Dazed writes in a big profile of West Coast Get Down. They were playing for years in LA jazz bars perfecting their craft and style – "they" being Tony Austin (drums), Ronald Bruner Jr (drums), Stephen ‘Thundercat’ Bruner (bass), Cameron Graves (keys), Brandon Coleman (keys), Miles Mosley (bassist), Ryan Porter (trombonist), Patrice Quinn (vocals), Terrace Martin (multi-instrumentalist), and Kamasi Washington (saxophonist) – when they got their big break, playing of Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp a Butterfly'. That wasn't the highpoint, rather a kick - West Coast Get Down is only just getting started, Dazed argues.

The league of extraordinary gentlemen
June 26, 2020

A new supergroup - a laid back hip-hop/jazz Dinner Party

“We wanted to make it more about the music. Not about what anybody knows less or knows more. Just make something that feels good to the heart” - saxophonist and producer Terrace Martin told the Fader about Dinner Party, a new supergroup he shares with pianist Robert Glasper, producer 9th Wonder, saxophonist Kamasi Washington, and The Chicago-based singer Phoelix as an added member. They've known each other for years - Martin and Washington attended high school together; Martin and Glasper attended jazz camp together at age 16; Washington and Glasper used to sit in with each other at The Piano Bar in L.A. Dinner Party’s self-titled debut spotlights jazz and hip-hop’s shared history of protest, and it is due out July 10th.

Freedom? Justice? Equality? For All?!?
June 03, 2020

A powerful protest song - 'Pig Feet' by Terrace Martin

Terrace Martin has made a powerful protest song with an equally strong video, recorded in reaction to George Floyd’s murder and the protests that have happened afterward. "Someone asked, how do I feel? I told them hurt, fearless, angry, aware and fully ready to protect me, my family & my people at all cost” Martin said about the song. Denzel Curry, Daylyt, Kamasi Washington, and G Perico joined him on it. The song’s equally powerful video begins with a message - “the video to this song is happening right outside your window” - and features footage from the protests. It ends with a long list of black men and women who have been killed by the police.

The concert film was made last year, it was directed by Michael Garber, and it is coming out this week on Amazon Prime Video. “Playing at the Apollo Theater is one of the greatest honors that a musician can have,” Washington said in a statement, adding - “When I walked down 125th Street from my hotel in Harlem and saw my name on the marquee I almost couldn’t believe it". To celebrate the announcement, Washington shared the 12-minute track 'The Bombshell’s Waltz', a previously-unheard piece from his self-released 2007 album, 'The Proclamation'.

“It is not an inviting idea … and then, yes, there will be the notion of coming to Europe and the ease of travelling from one country to the next. That is part of what makes touring possible for lots of artists,” Kamasi Washington told the Guardian about what happens with UK exiting the European […]

1. Deafheaven: 'Ordinary Corrupt Human Love' 2. Sons Of Kemet: 'Your Queen Is a Reptile' 3. Møl: 'Jord' 4. Mitski: 'Be The Cowboy' 5. Earl Sweatshirt: 'Some Rap Songs' 6. NoName: 'Room 25' 7. Rivers of Nihil: 'Where Owls Know My Name' 8. Pusha T: 'Daytona' 9. Kendrick Lamar: 'Bad Kid Chill City' 10. Kids […]

Bristol punk-rock band Idles have topped a list of 2018's best albums, compiled by BBC 6 Music presenters. The group's second album 'Joy as an Act of Resistance' is "a really powerful record but it's still quite sly," said DJ Steve Lamacq. US trio Khruangbin came second on the list with jazz artist Kamasi Washington in […]