The Epic
Brainfeeder
It seems like every year there is one or two Jazz albums
that break through its niche fan base into mainstream appeal. In 2015, that
album will be remembered as Kamasi Washington’s “The Epic.” There’s ambition
and then there is three hour ambition. A length filmmakers and even Michael
Gira try to avoid yet here comes young Los Angeles musician Kamasi Washington, known
primarily for his collaborations with Flying Lotus. The tenor saxophone player
has finally come into his own on this massive three hour record. This album is
hardly a typical jazz record and contains the unique electronic experimentation
that comes with just about every Brainfeeder Records project. The record also
contains an orchestra, choir, solo vocal performance, and the trademark funk of
Thundercat’s bass lines. These traits are all typically omitted from a
traditional jazz album but when creating a three hour piece of work (that is
broken into three parts) something original needs to be done to prevent
redundancy. Whether you’re a hardcore jazz fan, casual jazz fan, or have never
listened to a jazz album before I would discourage the listener from trying to
listen to all three hours of this recording in one sitting the first time
through. Listen to this album part by part and enjoy them individually before
trying to put it all together as a cohesive unit. Whether broken into the three
parts or listened to in one sitting Kamasi Washington puts together a sublimely
lush jazz album that oozes creativity and hard work.
“The Epic” seems to challenge the conventional as well as
the classic. Obvious in the album’s auspicious title but also in the first
track named “Changing of the Guard.” Washington makes a grandiose claim that he
is in fact the next big thing in jazz music and in the compositions that follow
he makes a convincing argument. “Changing of the Guard” acts as a preview for what is to come on this three hour journey. Washington exposes the listener
to the choir whose booming vocals sound otherworldly, the sharp and talented
ten piece orchestra, jarring and uplifting keyboard solos, and Washington’s own
solo style which can range from John Coltrane smoothness to Kaoru Abe
abrasiveness. Although the pieces do typically find themselves twelve minutes
in length, Washington always reverts to the more melodic style rather than stay
in the avant-garde tone Abe and more famously Albert Ayler exist within. All of
these elements are used extensively and is some combination throughout “The
Epic”, but the style rarely gets repetitive or familiar. Every instrument seems
to have its moment to shine on some point in this album with Kamasi
Washington’s saxophone getting the most of that three hours.
What ascends these numerous key and sax solos to greater
heights is the divine quality the choir brings to this album. In some instances
its sounds as though this choir is trying to create the theme for the next Halo game while other portions of this album sound like the backdrop to a track off
Janelle Monae’s “The ArchAndroid” with Washington’s saxophone being the seraph
leading this great instrumental odyssey through space. “The Rhythm Changes” is
a great closer to Part 1 of this album and could act as an ambassador for the
album. On this track we get the debut of Patrice Quinn who offers some great
solo vocal performances to this record. She laments, “Our mind, our bodies, our
feelings, they change they alter, they leave us. Somehow no matter what happens
I’m here. The time, the seasons, the weather, the song, the music, the rhythm,
it sings no matter what happens I’m here.” This song contains some of the few
lyrics on “The Epic” but does a sufficient job summarizing the feelings
experienced while listening to this record: isolation, inescapability, and an
inexplicable feeling of unwavering content within these profoundly vast and extensive
soundscapes.
Parts 2 and 3 warrant similar praise. The drumming in
particular is noteworthy. As the hi hat is pummeled at half beat speeds
Washington’s sax soars to great heights reminiscent of the tunes accompanying
Spike Spiegel as he rushes through the Cowboy Bebop universe. Thundercat’s
funky bass adds groove and soul to the lush orchestral instrumentation and
angelic choir that supports Washington’s continually flittering and
schizophrenic solos. Disc 3 offers a reservoir of peace in “Cherokee” that for
our three hour listeners will be the first since “Isabelle” all the way back on
disc one. The track that follows entitled “Clair de Lune” could be seen as the
apex of the album. Featuring a groove driven by a tight upright bass the track
features crescendos that implement every instrument Kamasi Washington seemed to
have available in the studio.
Portions of this album will remind the listener of Miles
Davis’ “Bitches Brew”, Herbie Hancock’s “Head Hunters”, Sun Ra’s “Space is the
Place”, and a variety of releases from Albert Ayler and John Coltrane. Given
the nostalgia and favor of history “The Epic” will eventually be ranked among
these albums, not as an imitator but as an innovator. Kamasi Washington
implements many different ideas that are at times not necessarily unique but
have never been blended this seamlessly. The only critique remains obvious in
its three hours in length. The album’s many different paces can give off an air
of recent familiarity. This critique remains small and should not impede on
enjoyment as long as a new jazz listener does not try to digest this
monstrosity all at once. Kamasi Washington created an unignorably huge album
for jazz fans with “The Epic” that should have a lot of cross-genre appeal.
Jazz, funk, and soul are blended in ways reminiscent of Gil Scott-Heron, but
with the emphasis on jazz rather than soul. Do not let the enormous length
intimidate you. This record is a fun intergalactic journey that makes the
separate listens well worth the time invested.
-
Tom K.
05/07/2015
