Ahead of his return to the Hollywood Bowl for KCRW’s World Festival series last weekend, LA jazz doyen Kamasi Washington told us there would be some “big surprises that no one’s gonna see coming.”
Pals, he wasn’t bluffing. Following a freewheeling set form Earl Sweatshirt, Washington and his absolute juggernaut of band — featuring the likes of Thundercat, Miles Mosley, DJ Battlecat, and more — unleashed 90 minutes of new music and revamped classics that hit the crowd of 18,000 like a salve.
Washington made good on his special guest promise by bringing out LA jazz and hip-hop savant Terrace Martin for a rendition of their 2020 powerhouse collaboration “PIG FEET,” alongside a cast of LA rap stalwarts featuring G Perico, Daylyt, and Promise.
But the pièce de résistance? That would be the live debut of Washington’s cover of “My Friend Of Misery,” from the upcoming Metallica cover compilation “The Metallica Blacklist.” None other than Metallica’s own guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo joined the band onstage for a wild, nine-plus minute rendition of the track.
We’d be remiss not to mention the evening’s final special guest, Washington’s baby daughter, who the new father noted was at the Bowl attending her first show. The sax great closed out the night with his latest release, “Sun Kissed Child,” which he wrote in her honor.
Watch videos of all three standout performances below.
Read more: KCRW’s World Festival is back with Kamasi Washington, James Blake, Brittany Howard, and more
Andrea Domanick is KCRW’s Digital Producer, Music and Culture. Follow her on Twitter.
