The Epic (album)

The Epic
The Epic
Studio album by Kamasi Washington
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
Singles from The Epic
	"Re Run Home"; Released: March 10, 2015; "Miss Understanding"; Released: April 8, 2015;

The Epic is the third studio album by American jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington and his first to be released on a record label.^[1] It was released on May 5, 2015, by the Brainfeeder record label.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
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]
Pitchfork	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

Volume 1: The Plan
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"	Patrice Quinn Washington	7:45
Total length:			66:05

Volume 2: The Glorious Tale
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"	Quinn Washington	7:13
6.	"The Magnificent 7"		12:48
Total length:			54:05

Volume 3: The Historic Repetition
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"	Terence Blanchard Jamie Davis	8:40
5.	"The Message"		11:11
Total length:			53:18

Vinyl Triple LP track listing
Volume 1: The Plan "A1. Change of the Guard" — 12:16 "A2. Isabelle" — 12:13 "A3. Final Thought" — 6:32 "B1. The Next Step" — 14:49 "B2. Askim" — 12:35 Volume 2: The Glorious Tale "A1. The Rhythm Changes" — 7:44 "A2. Leroy and Lanisha" — 9:24 "A3. Re Run" — 8:20 "B1. Miss Understanding" — 8:46 "B2. Henrietta Our Hero" — 7:14 "B3. Seven Prayers" — 7:36 "B4. Cherokee" — 8:14 Volume 3: The Historic Repetition "A1. The Magnificent 7" — 12:46 "A2. Re Run Home" — 14:06 "B1. Malcolm's Theme" — 8:41 "B2. Clair de Lune" — 11:08 "B3. The Message" — 11:09

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

Technical

Benjamin Tierney - mixing engineer
Daddy Kev - mastering engineer

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

Official website

[1] "Fresh heirs: how Kamasi Washington gave jazz back to the kids". The Guardian. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 2022-04-08.

[2] "The Epic by Kamasi Washington reviews". Any Decent Music?. Retrieved December 3, 2019.

[metacritic-3] "Reviews for The Epic by Kamasi Washington". Metacritic. Retrieved July 1, 2015.

[allmusic-review-4] Jurek, Thom. "The Epic – Kamasi Washington". AllMusic. Retrieved November 16, 2019.

[dis-review-5] 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.

[6] Hobart, Mike (May 2, 2015). "Kamasi Washington: The Epic — review". Financial Times. Retrieved May 10, 2019.

[guardian-review-7] Fordham, John (June 18, 2015). "Kamasi Washington: The Epic review – a spectacular new jazz odyssey". The Guardian. Retrieved July 1, 2015.

[8] Carroll, Jim (July 3, 2015). "Kamasi Washington: The Epic | Album Review". The Irish Times. Retrieved May 10, 2019.

[p4k-review-9] Walls, Seth Colter (May 8, 2015). "Kamasi Washington: The Epic". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 1, 2015.

[rollin-stone-review-10] Hermes, Will (June 2, 2015). "The Epic". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 1, 2015.

[11] Lewis, John (July 2015). "Kamasi Washington: The Epic". Uncut (218): 84.

[12] "The Best Albums of 2015". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. December 2, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.

[13] "The 50 Best Albums of 2015". Pitchfork. December 16, 2015. Retrieved December 16, 2015.

[14] "The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s". Pitchfork. October 8, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2019.

[15] "Albums of the Year 2015". Rough Trade. Retrieved 2015-12-10.

[16] "The 50 Best Albums Of 2015". Stereogum. 2015-12-01. Retrieved 2015-12-10.

[17] "2015 Rewind: Releases of the Year 1–50". The Wire. No. 383. London. January 2016. p. 32 – via Exact Editions.

[18] 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.

[ac_BillboardHeatseekers_Kamasi_Washington-19] "Kamasi Washington Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2021.

[ac_BillboardIndependent_Kamasi_Washington-20] "Kamasi Washington Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2021.

[ac_BillboardJazz_Kamasi_Washington-21] "Kamasi Washington Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2021.

[22] "Jaaroverzichten 2016 Albums". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 December 2016.

[GermanyKamasi_WashingtonThe_EpicjazzCertRef-23] "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Kamasi Washington; 'The Epic')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 23 December 2018.

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The Epic (album)

Critical reception

Accolades

Track listing

CD

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

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