Kamasi Washington has unveiled his new album, Fearless Movement, set to release on May 4 via Young. The newly-released tracklist is star-studded, featuring contributions from André 3000, Thundercat, George Clinton, BJ The Chicago Kid, Terrace Martin and others (Washington’s daughter is also credited for writing the melody for “Asha The First” while first exploring the piano). Adding dimension to his announcement, Washington shared the preview single “Prologue” and announced a 24-stop North American tour for this spring and summer.

“Prologue,” the final track on Fearless Movement, is a progressive, high-energy jazz number true to the master composer’s trademark form. Washington’s saxophone soars above a pulsing undercurrent of percussion, piano and bass, reaching a cacophonous peak before melting slowly out. In the album announcement posted to his social media channels, Washington stated that Fearless Movement was “A celebration of music, dance, and the ever-changing maze of the mind that makes us who we are.”

The song’s music video centers on a stunning dance sequence that roars through the song’s 8 minute and 25 second duration. This elaborate performance was brought to life by choreographer Samantha Blake Goodman and director AG Rojas, who has similarly collaborated with Mitski, Jack White and Portugal. The Man. Washington previously released another song from the album, “The Garden Path,” in 2022. 

Fearless Movement marks Washington’s first studio album since 2018’s Heaven and Earth. In 2020, Washington formed the hip-hop fusion supergroup Dinner Party with Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder and Terrace Martin and released a self-titled project; an expanded sequel EP, Dinner Party: Desert, received a Grammy nomination for best progressive R&B album.

To support Fearless Movement’s release, Washington will set out on a tour across North America, beginning with an engagement at the historic Beacon Theatre in New York on May 4. The bandleader will then work his way west, including stops in Canada, Chicago and Houston, before finishing off at Alexandria, Va.’s The Birchmere on July 31. Notably, on June 16, Washington will return to his home city of Los Angeles to curate the Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival with jazz legend Herbie Hancock for the second year in a row. An artist presale for the tour is open now and will run through Thursday, March 7 at 10:00 p.m. ET. local time. For more information, visit kamasiwashington.com.

The music video for “Prologue” is available below. Fans can pre-save and pre-order the full album now. 

Fearless Movement North American Tour 2024 Dates:
May 4– Beacon Theatre— New York
May 5– Union Transfer— Philadelphia
May 7– History— Toronto, Ontario
May 8– Ludlow Garage— Cincinnati
May 9– St. Andrew’s Hall— Detroit
May 10– Thalia Hall— Chicago
May 11– Fitzgerald Theater— St. Paul, Minn.
May 12– Slowdown— Omaha, Neb.
May 14– House of Blues Houston— Houston
May 15– House of Blues Dallas— Dallas
May 16– Charline McCombs Empire Theatre— San Antonio
May 17– Empire Garage— Austin, Texas
May 30– The Vogue Theater— Vancouver, British Columbia
May 31– The Showbox— Seattle
June 1– McDonald Theatre— Eugene, Ore.
June 2– Crystal Ballroom— Portland, Ore.
June 5– Crest Theatre— Sacramento
June 6– Golden State Theatre— Monterey, Calif.
June 7– Warfield— San Francisco
June 8– The Catalyst— Santa Cruz, Calif.
June 9– Belly Up— Solana Beach, Calif.
June 11– Mesa Arts Center— Mesa, Ariz.
June 16– Hollywood Bowl Jazz Fest— Los Angeles
July 31– The Birchmere— Alexandria, Va.