| The Epic | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| 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 to be released on a record label. [1] It was released on May 5, 2015, by the Brainfeeder record label.
| 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]
| 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] |
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 |
|---|
|
Credits adapted from vinyl liner notes.
Band
Additional musicians
Ensemble – (tracks 1, 2, 5–7, 9, 11, 12, 14)
Technical
| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [19] | 2 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) [20] | 18 |
| US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard) [21] | 3 |
| Chart (2016) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [22] | 145 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Germany (BVMI) [23] | Platinum | 20,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
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