After six long years, jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington is set to release a new album next month, Fearless Movement.
One of the album’s most anticipated collaborations is the song with living rap legend turned respected jazz musician André 3000. “Dream State,” is an eight minute long piece. As the song’s title suggests, there’s a dream-like trance that envelops the song, but it becomes much more active and vibrant when Kamasi Washington’s rhythm section enter. Kamasi’s sax and André’s flute are having a gripping conversation with each other. Listen and watch the Aubrinae Washington-directed video below.
“When you receive a text from a wind friend something beautiful usually transpires,” says André via press release. “The day Kamasi invited me to a session for Fearless Movement I was so geeked and honored. Now, every time we get together something interesting happens. We first played during a recording session for New Blue Sun and it’s been fruitful ever since.”
“‘Dream State’ is a celebration of life and the opportunity it gives us to explore new possibilities,” adds Kamasi. “We created this song together instantaneously as we improvised off the music we made in the moment. It was such an honor to work on this song with one of my heroes, the great André 3000. And what an amazing experience André 3000, Brandon Coleman, Tony Austin, Mono/Poly and I had gliding freely through this world of sound not knowing where we would end up, but joyful in the journey itself.”
Fearless Movement, Washington’s seventh solo album will release on May 3rd. The very next day, May 4th, Washington begins his 2024 tour in New York City.