
The saviour of jazz? That might be a bit of a stretch. But since the release of his breakout album The Epic in 2015, followed by his deservedly raved-about sophomore album Heaven & Earth last year, it’s hard to think of any other artist who’s done more to get jazz back onto modern playlists than Los Angeles sax-pop shapeshifter Kamasi Washington. Not everyone’s sold, though: the genre’s old guard, apparently, complain that he’s doing nothing new. Rubbish, say his fans – his hip-hop-informed, Afro-centric influences, as well as his mix of multitracked instruments, are totally original. Either way, few doubt the 37-year-old is a heck of a live show. And this month, his world tour stops at London (5 March), Paris (7 March) and Frankfurt (9 March).