Grammy-nominated saxophonist Kamasi Washington brought down the house at his Tiny Desk Concert. He played selections from three of his albums, showcasing his ability, with the support of his killer band, to go from high energy to reflective ballads while never losing danceability.

Washington has said, “The kind of music I make is not necessarily associated with dance, even though I feel like the more expression in the music, the more it can inspire you to move.” To drive that point home, Washington’s special guest was the legendary DJ Battlecat, one of the pioneers of the West Coast sound. The DJ is responsible for mixing in a little sample of the rapper Kendrick Lamar shouting out the saxophonist — “keep a horn on me / that Kamasi” — at the top of “Street Fighter Mas.”

Also accompanying Washington are his father, flutist and soprano saxophonist Rickey Washington, who you can often see looking at his son with pride. The other musicians behind the Desk are keys wizard Brandon Coleman, Tony Austin with the heartbeat, Miles Mosley holding down the low end, trombonist Ryan Porter and Patrice Quinn on vocals. There’s so much more that can be said about this Tiny Desk Concert, but sometimes, you just have to let the music speak for itself.

SET LIST

• “Lesanu”

• “Street Fighter Mas”

• “The Rhythm Changes”

• “Asha The First”

MUSICIANS

• Kamasi Washington: tenor saxophone

• Rickey Washington: flute, soprano saxophone

• Ryan Porter: trombone

• Brandon Coleman: keys

• Tony Austin: drums

• DJ Battlecat: DJ, percussion

• Miles Mosley: bass

• Patrice Quinn: vocals

TINY DESK TEAM

• Producer: Nikki Birch

• Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant

• Audio Technical Director: Josephine Nyounai

• Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter

• Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Mitra I. Arthur, Alanté Serene

• Audio Engineer: Tiffany Vera Castro

• Production Assistant: Elle Mannion

• Photographer: Estefania Mitre

• Tiny Desk Team: Kara Frame, Ashley Pointer, Hazel Cills, Josh Newell

• Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed

• Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson

• VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

Copyright 2024, NPR