| The Epic | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 5, 2015 | |||
| Studio | Kingsize Soundlabs (Los Angeles, California) | |||
| Genre | Avant-Garde Jazz, Spiritual jazz | |||
| Length | 173:36 | |||
| Label | Brainfeeder | |||
| Producer | Kamasi Washington | |||
| Kamasi Washington chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Epic | ||||
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The Epic is the third studio album by American jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington and his first on a major-label.[1] It was released on May 5, 2015, by the Brainfeeder record label.
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Transcription
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.9/10[2] |
| Metacritic | 83/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [4] |
| Drowned in Sound | 8/10[5] |
| Financial Times |  [6] |
| The Guardian | [7] |
| The Irish Times | [8] |
| Pitchfork | 8.6/10[9] |
| Rolling Stone |  [10] |
| Uncut | 8/10[11] |
Upon its release, The Epic was widely celebrated by music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 83, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 7 reviews.[3] the AllMusic critic Thom Jurek described the album as "21st century jazz as accessible as it is virtuosic -- feel matters to Washington", and further wrote, "Holistic in breadth and deep in vision, it provides a way into this music for many, and challenges the cultural conversation about jazz without compromising or pandering."[4] Russell Warfield of Drowned in Sound described the album as "wonderful stuff" and that the record "deserves a high score by any standards of evaluation".[5]
The Guardian critic, John Fordham, who was positive in his assessment of the album, wrote, "Only a shortage of thematic surprises – given its extravagant length – keeps it from being quite the seismically jazz-changing departure that some admirers are claiming."[7] Seth Colter Walls of Pitchfork awarded the album the "Best New Music" tag, writing, "The Epic actually makes good on its titular promise without bothering to make even a faint-hearted stab in the direction of fulfilling its pre-release hype."[9]
Accolades
| Publication | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Guardian | The Best Albums of 2015 | 2015 | 8[12]
|
| Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2015 | 2015 | 10[13]
|
| The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s | 2019 | 58[14]
| |
| Rough Trade | Albums of the Year 2015 | 2015 | 7[15]
|
| Stereogum | The 50 Best Albums of 2015 | 2015 | 35[16]
|
| The Wire | Releases of the Year 1–50 | 2015 | 8[17]
|
| Rolling Stone | The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s | 2019 | 82[18] |
Track listing
CD
All tracks are written by Kamasi Washington, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Change of the Guard" | 12:15 | |
| 2. | "Askim" | 12:34 | |
| 3. | "Isabelle" | 12:12 | |
| 4. | "Final Thought" | 6:31 | |
| 5. | "The Next Step" | 14:48 | |
| 6. | "The Rhythm Changes" |
| 7:45 |
| Total length: | 66:05 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Miss Understanding" | 8:46 | |
| 2. | "Leroy and Lanisha" | 9:24 | |
| 3. | "Re Run" | 8:19 | |
| 4. | "Seven Prayers" | 7:35 | |
| 5. | "Henrietta Our Hero" |
| 7:13 |
| 6. | "The Magnificent 7" | 12:48 | |
| Total length: | 54:05 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Re Run Home" | 14:06 | |
| 2. | "Cherokee" | Ray Noble | 8:14 |
| 3. | "Clair de Lune" | Claude Debussy | 11:07 |
| 4. | "Malcolm's Theme" |
| 8:40 |
| 5. | "The Message" | 11:11 | |
| Total length: | 53:18 | ||
| Vinyl Triple LP track listing |
|---|
|
Personnel
Credits adapted from vinyl liner notes.
Band
- Kamasi Washington – tenor saxophone, band leader, arrangement, production (all tracks)
- Thundercat – electric bass (tracks 1, 2, 5–7, 10, 12, 13, 17)
- Miles Mosley – upright bass (tracks 1–13, 15–17), electric bass (track 14)
- Ronald Bruner, Jr. – drums (tracks 3, 4, 6, 7, 10–13, 16, 17)
- Tony Austin – drums (tracks 1, 2, 4–6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15–17), engineering (tracks 1-2, 4-13, 15-17)
- Leon Mobley – percussion (tracks 2–4, 8–10, 17)
- Cameron Graves – piano (tracks 1–6, 9–13, 15–17), organ (track 8)
- Brandon Coleman – keyboards (tracks 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 12–14, 17), organ (tracks 3–5, 10–12, 14–16), piano (track 8)
- Ryan Porter – trombone (tracks 1–10, 12–17)
- Igmar Thomas – trumpet (track 1, 2, 5–7, 9, 12, 13, 17)
- Dwight Trible – lead vocals (track 16)
- Patrice Quinn – lead vocals (tracks 6, 11, 14, 16)
Additional musicians
- Robert Miller – drums (track 14)
- Shaunte Palmer – trombone (track 11)
- Todd Simon – trumpet (track 11)
- Brian Rosemeyer – engineering (tracks 3, 14)
Ensemble – (tracks 1, 2, 5–7, 9, 11, 12, 14)
- Neel Hammond – violin
- Tylana Renga Enomoto – violin
- Paul Cartwright – violin
- Jennifer Simone – violin
- Lucia Micarelli – violin
- Molly Rogers – viola
- Andrea Whitt – viola
- Artyom Manukyan – cello
- Ginger Murphy – cello
- Dawn Norfleet – choir vocals
- Thalma de Freitas – choir vocals
- Maiya Sykes – choir vocals
- Gina Manziello – choir vocals
- Patrice Quinn – choir vocals
- Natasha F. Agrama – choir vocals
- Dwight Trible – choir vocals
- Steven Wayne – choir vocals
- Taylor Graves – choir vocals
- Charles Jones – choir vocals
- Jason Marales – choir vocals
- Dexter Story – choir vocals
- Cameron Graves – choir vocals
- Tracy Carter – choir vocals
Mixing engineer
- Benjamin Tierney
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[19] | 2 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[20] | 18 |
| US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)[21] | 3 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2016) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[22] | 145 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Germany (BVMI)[23] | Platinum | 20,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ "Fresh heirs: how Kamasi Washington gave jazz back to the kids". The Guardian. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
- ^ "The Epic by Kamasi Washington reviews". Any Decent Music?. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
- ^ a b "Reviews for The Epic by Kamasi Washington". Metacritic. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
- ^ a b Jurek, Thom. "The Epic – Kamasi Washington". AllMusic. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
- ^ a b Warfield, Russell (May 5, 2015). "Album Review: Kamasi Washington – The Epic". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on October 12, 2017. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
- ^ Hobart, Mike (May 2, 2015). "Kamasi Washington: The Epic — review". Financial Times. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
- ^ a b Fordham, John (June 18, 2015). "Kamasi Washington: The Epic review – a spectacular new jazz odyssey". The Guardian. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
- ^ Carroll, Jim (July 3, 2015). "Kamasi Washington: The Epic | Album Review". The Irish Times. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
- ^ a b Walls, Seth Colter (May 8, 2015). "Kamasi Washington: The Epic". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
- ^ Hermes, Will (June 2, 2015). "The Epic". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
- ^ Lewis, John (July 2015). "Kamasi Washington: The Epic". Uncut (218): 84.
- ^ "The Best Albums of 2015". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. December 2, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2015". Pitchfork. December 16, 2015. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ "The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s". Pitchfork. October 8, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
- ^ "Albums of the Year 2015". Rough Trade. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2015". Stereogum. 2015-12-01. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
- ^ "2015 Rewind: Releases of the Year 1–50". The Wire. No. 383. London. January 2016. p. 32 – via Exact Editions.
- ^ Dolan, Jon; Spanos, Brittany; Vozick-Levinson, Simon; Sheffield, Rob; Holmes, Charles; Hoard, Christian; Hudak, Joseph; Leight, Elias; Exposito, Suzy; Hermes, Will; Martoccio, Angie; Browne, David; Shteamer, Hank; Freeman, Jon; Shaffer, Claire; Ehrlich, Brenna; Bernstein, Jonathan; Blistein, Jon; Catucci, Nick; Klinkenberg, Brendan; Schwartz, Danny; Grow, Kory (2019-12-03). "The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
- ^ "Kamasi Washington Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "Kamasi Washington Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "Kamasi Washington Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2016 Albums". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Kamasi Washington; 'The Epic')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
External links
This page was last edited on 1 April 2024, at 23:06