Epic

180 gm vinyl three LP pressing. The most ambitious jazz album to arrive in ages, Los Angeles saxophonist/composer Kamasi Washington's eagerly awaited debut clocks in at 172 minutes with never a dull moment. While his terrific 10-piece band already pack a wallop thanks to their doubled basses and drums, Washington usually embellishes them with a string section and angelic choir. Like his luminous playing on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, Washington solos with power and grace here. Versions of "Cherokee" and Terence Blanchard's "Malcolm's Theme" nod to jazz tradition, but it's originals like "Changing of the Guard" that signal his aspirations.