Kamasi Washington At Golden Gate Theatre

Kamasi Washington Band
Golden Gate Theatre
San Francisco, CA
October 14, 2025

It was part big-band spiritual jazz and part family affair. Visionary saxophonist Kamasi Washington's sold-out two-hour concert at the Golden Gate Theatre offered an evening of transcendent fusion, mixing funk, hip-hop, and masterful improvisation with surprise guest appearances.

Dressed in a pure white, loose-fitting, African-inspired robe with a green and gold, chasuble-like panel embroidered into the fabric, Kamasi Washington looked like a bishop ready to deliver his homily to his congregation. "We're going on a little journey together," the saxophonist declared before asking, "Everybody ready to jump?!" With that encouragement, the crowd burst into applause and cheers.

Washington and his octet began the evening with "Lesanu," a soulful and intricate track that seamlessly blended Ethiopian devotional music with soul-funk. It began with a prayer in Ge'ez, performed by Patrice Quinn, and quickly escalated into a powerful instrumental, featuring a hypnotic rhythm and Washington's fiery saxophone. Quinn, with prayer-like hands pointed toward the sky, gyrated in figurative dance moves as the music moved her. And then, as he often does, Washington paused the momentum for a brief sermon on the spiritual power of music.

"Music is such a beautiful part of being a human," he affirmed. "It allows us to connect and stretch beyond space and time... we can just connect. That means it teaches us that we gotta take that lesson beyond the concert hall." The crowd roared its approval of the musical manifesto, ready to follow their sax-playing shepherd on his promised journey.

This spiritual and family bond runs deep in Washington's life and work. His father, Rickey Washington, a well-known professional woodwind player, was not only the source of his musical education but also a key member of the West Coast Get Down jazz collective (Washington's main group of L.A. collaborators). Rickey, playing directly to the right of his son, set a strong example for the family tradition, embodying the deep roots of Black musical excellence that Kamasi continues to nurture. Throughout the evening, Kamasi acknowledged his father after numerous solos, a dynamic soon broadened by the presence of other family members.

At one point in the evening, Washington introduced his wife, Ami Taf Ra, to perform the title track from her debut album, How I Became a Madman (Brainfeeder, 2025). Dressed in a green gown, with waist-length red curly hair, sunglasses, and a puffy cap, she delivered a stunning, elegant vocal performance. Washington then explained the song's literary origin, setting the stage for the deeply personal piece: "I worked on a record that was recently released with a very special artist... the love of my life, Miss Ami Taf Ra. The song is a tribute to the great writer Khalil Gibran, inspired by his books The Prophet and The Madman." After their intimate collaboration, the focus shifted from Washington's partnership to his role as a father, as he introduced a composition inspired by the youngest member of his musical family.

The family spotlight then shifted to the youngest generation. Washington introduced the song "Asha the First" from his 2024 album Fearless Movement (Young), sharing a heartfelt story about its origin. He explained that his daughter, Asha, wrote the melody when she was just two years old: "She would get up early every morning and play the piano... One day, she went to the piano and played this [melody], and it suddenly dawned on her that if she played the same keys, the same notes would come out. She had the idea of composing music in that moment." Washington recorded her spontaneous improvisation and built the intricate track around it, showing how inspiration for his work often begins at home. After sharing this family story, Washington then focused outward, inviting a rising musician from Oakland onto the stage to continue the jazz tradition.

The stage then welcomed the next generation: 19-year-old tenor/soprano saxophonist Ayo Brame from Oakland. Brame, known for drawing influences from jazz legends like John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, walked on with the confidence of a seasoned player, dressed in a vibrant, multi-colored shirt and sunglasses. They performed "Askim," a dynamic track that blends spiritual jazz with a driving, hard-funk rhythm. The song's serene, Coltrane-like spirituality fused with a contemporary, hip-hop-inspired groove, offering a perfect showcase for Brame's powerful and expressive solo. Washington watched, smiling and visibly impressed, a testament to his dedication to both the tradition and the future of the music. With the mentorship moment complete, the ensemble turned its attention to the final, transcendent chapter of the evening.

As the concert reached its final song, "Vi Lua Vi Sol," the audience was at its peak of excitement. The band received spectacular final solos: Miles Mosley amazed everyone with another innovative upright bass solo, blending his bow and wah-wah pedal, and drummer Tony Austin delivered a powerful performance. Ryan Porter added his distinctive, soulful voice through the trombone. During these closing moments, the audience itself became part of the music. This was no polite performance. The crowd stood cheering, cameras raised, reflecting a diverse mix of people, from seasoned jazz fans and families at their first show to hip-hop enthusiasts who discovered Washington through Kendrick Lamar and regulars on the San Francisco concert circuit. In the vast space of the Golden Gate Theatre, Washington's large-scale, spiritually charged jazz felt immediate and deeply shared.

With the house lights briefly dimmed and the stage empty, the audience's sustained applause successfully called Washington back for an encore. He delivered a powerful final statement with "Prologue."

Looking out at the ecstatic crowd, Washington and his ensemble reached their highest goal. We saw a band trying to make grandeur feel personal, and they succeeded: the vast, cosmic sound became profoundly human.

Setlist

"Lesanu," "Re Run," "Asha the First," "Askim," "How I Became a Madman," "Road to Self (KO)," "Vi Lua vi sol." Encore: "Prologue."

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