MSU jazz Nonets with Salim Washington, saxophone

Salim Washington, a brilliant multi-reedman, composer, teacher, writer and speaker based in Durban, South Africa, is a uniquely cosmopolitan figure, even among the many distinguished artists in residence hosted by Michigan State University’s jazz studies program over the years. From his gospel, jazz and blues roots in the Black Bottom neighborhood of Detroit to the 1970s efflorescence of spiritually heightened and politically urgent jazz in America to the vibrant and diverse world of today’s South African music, Washington can connect the dots of Black American music, from Mahalia Jackson to John Coltrane to Stevie Wonder to Biggie Smalls, as few artists can. In addition to saxophone and flute, he plays the wickedly difficult jazz oboe in the tradition of one of his jazz heroes, the late Yusef Lateef. Washington is sharing his insights and wisdom with MSU students as he holds masterclasses and tours the state with top jazz ensembles this week, culminating in a concert Friday evening that will push the students into fresh and dynamic realms of sound. Expect a dizzying variety of musical forms and colors in the vein of Sankofa, Washington’s all-star South African ensemble, with a few surprises along the way.