A dedicated performer, composer and educator, Kevin was born in Detroit, the son of jazz artists/teachers Faye and Donald Washington. He started playing drums as a toddler, and at age five made his first appearance at a local jazz festival, a gig he continued for the next four years in addition to festivals Chicago, Alabama and Connecticut. At thirteen, he moved with his family to the Twin Cities, and quickly became part of the local music community, spreading his talents across jazz, Latin, reggae and funk bands. Moving to New York to attend the New School in 1996, Kevin gained experience with Chico Freeman, Arnie Lawrence, Antonio Hart and James Carter, and taught rhythm at the Harlem School of the Arts.

Since returning to the Twin Cities, Kevin has been in high demand to support such national touring artists as Steve Slagle, Dave Stryker, the late David Fathead Newman, Rodney Jones and James Carter. He plays regularly with Moveable Feast, Doug Little, the Heptones, Nachito Herrera and Bruce Henry, and holds down the drum chair for the Jazz Is Now! Nownet. He toured Peru with Andres Prado and Europe with Doug Little, and was featured in Modern Drummer magazine (2003).  Kevin has been a regular fixture at the Blue Nile, hosts a weekly open mic for musicians and poets; works with the local African ensemble Sun-Plugged, and is working on a solo CD project. He’s also been an active participant in the Freedom Jazz Festival, along with parents Faye and Donald. And following in his parents’ footsteps, Kevin has devoted considerable time to jazz education, as an instructor at McNally Smith College, Walker West Music Academy and the Twin Cities Jazz Workshop, and through private lessons. 

Kevin looks backwards and forwards in his approach to music, always mindful and respectful of jazz’s legacy as well as incorporating the sounds and imagination of his own generation, raised on rap and hip-hop as much as Roach and Blakey. His quartet debut in August left scorch marks on the AQ floor, thanks not only to Kevin’s hot percussion but also to the fire of young saxman Dejen Tesfagiorgis and cohorts from nearby McNally Smith.

The Artists Quarter is located at 408 St. Peter Street, in the lower level of the Hamm Building in downtown St. Paul; www.artistsquarter.com. Sets begin at 9 pm, $10 cover.