Kamasi Washington, The Epic, Album of the Year

Kamasi Washington and band in Los Angeles. Photo: K. Ho

The most ambitious album of the year is Kamasi Washington’s The Epic (Brainfeeder, 2015); and that makes it our Album of the Year. Kamasi Washington brought together some friends he has known all his life. It is amazing that a group of friends and acquaintances all grow up to be world-class musicians.

The result is a cornucopia of sound that recall the styles of classic jazz, rhythm and blues and orchestral music.

This three-disc album starts off with Change of the Guard which opens with a 32-piece orchestra led by piano, rolling drums and a 10-piece choir. Cameron Graves comes on with a piano solo and Igmar Thomas follows on trumpet. Kamasi Washington moves in with a bebop solo on tenor saxophone which ends in frenetic screams. Then in come the drums which add to the turbulence, strife and turmoil. Some of the songs are long and Change of the Guard, over 12 minutes long, continues into a slow elegy, all the time the choir in background like a Gregorian chant.

Askim opens with the bass of Kamasi Washington’s childhood friend Thundercat and has Leon Mobley on percussions; a slow, jazzy tune with moments of patience.

Final thoughts is a danceable, jooky tune with great horn melody and a grating, scratchy tenor sax solo and some rollicking drums. It unfolds and unfolds like a river emptying waterfalls on several levels; a fierce, frenetic pace.

Rhythm Changes is destined to be a favorite of many with a rollicking piano, island drums and elegant vocals by Patrice Quinn. The choir encourages her and carries her along to a trumpet solo which plays her voice and onto a tenor sax solo with articulate phrasing.

Patrice Quinn sings, ‘Our minds, our bodies, our feelings, they change, they alter, they leave us. Somehow, no matter what happens, I’m here.’

An outstanding album; Kamasi Washington and crew deserve all the love and recognition they are getting for this work.