When The Epic was released in 2015, it marked the grandiose self-introduction of Kamasi Washington to the international jazz community. Why grandiose? Well, its three-hour length is not something common for a debut album. Such an ambitious attempt is very risky, but obviously, the saxophonist took that risk consciously, knowing that his music transcends standard packages. The triple-album feels as Washington offered us some sort of a homage to soul and cosmic jazz, reminiscent of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme and beyond period, but far from trying to be anyone’s copycat.
The Epic gained much pre-release attention, because the saxophonist was primarily known in the hip-hop circles, for his work with the likes of Lauryn Hill, Nas, and Snoop Dogg, and especially for taking a crucial part in creating Kendrick Lamar's “To Pimp a Butterfly.” One thing that makes this record such a standout was Kamasi Washington’s use of strings, which he beautifully layered on multiple tracks, lifting compositions such as “Change of the Guard” to another level (the same feeling as on “To Pimp a Butterfly” which was also a record that looked beyond genre limits and intended to push things further.)
The 10-piece jazz band, featuring a 32-piece orchestra and a 20-member choir play in perfect sync, not only in terms of keeping time but even more in the amount of energy every single musician puts in and also in the sense of the fantastic flow that brings this crowd-like group together. The Epic came as a surprise for those who thought they’ll hear postmodern turntablism, nu-jazz extravagances, acoustic adaptations of electronic-music practices or similar contemporary trends. Those who wanted to hear Erykah Badu’s long time sideman in a jazz environment were not happy with the result, which is everything but innovative. That;s why Pitchfork was absolutely right when stating that “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. If you came for the hip-hop associations, and can't listen to anything else, you will surely be disappointed.”
