Why can't I seem to find any negative reviews of this? There have to be, at least from some credible jazz sources. I mean, it's obviously not very good. Washington's playing is just outright terrible, he's incapable of any interesting improvisation and his compositional skills are mediocre at best. The rest of the band varyingly does a job ranging from somewhat decent to quite good. I might even think it's an ok album if it weren't for Kamasi's inept emotionless wailing or jarring staccato repetition over an otherwise fine arrangement. Or alternatively cut 75% of the three fucking hours and leave the few good parts for a normal jazz album length.
So, any links to some proper reviews?
You're just caught up in being a contrarian. No one who's honest with themselves could hear things thing and say "it's shit". Because it's not. It's a middle of the road, decent jazz record that's been overhyped to death, but it's not horrible.
>>61372207
I didn't say it was shit or horrible. I said it's not very good, four or five out of ten, something along those lines. I'm mostly just pissed at how much Washington's sax work bogs down the rest of the album. Trying to listen to this makes me just want to put a better jazz album on. Peralta's work on Brainfeeder was several orders of magnitude better, even if the recording and mixing is a bit stuffy.
Reviewers don't care about memes like you do.
>>61372207
this
>>61372272
>I'm mostly just pissed at how much Washington's sax work bogs down the rest of the album
It's funny because another guy in another thread was saying it was the trombonist dragging the album down (despite him being a widely employed and quite respected trombonist). It just shows how much contrarians are trying to pick fault with stuff they don't really have a clue about.
>>61372406
The trombonist on the album is really great, actually. I'm not a fan of Kamasi's style, but the fault on this album is certainly not with the trombonist.
>>61372406
Saw Kamasi live awhile ago and the trombonist was by far the worst member of the band.
Ethan Iverson had some critique in his Do the Math blog earlier this month. I'm on mobile so can't be bothered to look for it.
>>61372406
The trombonist really is terrible though.
>widely employed
kek where? Under Kendrick too? He has garbage tone and is a garbage improviser
>>61372406
Well none of the horn players are exactly stellar, which also might be related to Kamasi's skills as a bandleader, but they're definitely not bad players. It's the frontman himself thought who just doesn't contribute anything worthwhile to the album by his playing.
And it's not that I'm trying to pick a fault forcibly, but it's just my observation of why the album is so mediocre and dull. I'm sorry you feel I'm "clueless" because Kamasi's playing (and to some extent his composition too) does absolutely nothing for me.
>>61372550
Thanks, I'll try to look it up. Just interested in reading some discussion around the album from other sources than pop music reviewers.
I mean it's not like we're making up the fact that we listen to the album and - for me especially - have to turn it off or skip a track because it's just such a bad solo.
>>61372624
You are making it up. The musicians are all stellar examples of black excellence. You just skip the tracks because of your racism and privilege.
>>61372605
Found it and read his thoughts, I pretty much agree.
>The reason to celebrate Washington is probably mostly extramusical: His album and tour is breaking new ground with audiences. It is reaffirming the connection of contemporary black culture to jazz. Perhaps Washington is "making jazz relevant again."
This is a good point and certainly seems like a plausible explanation, at least partially. It's not a very adventurous album at all, but something people who listen to Brainfeeder would have a relatively easy time approaching. It's interesting how the album has brought attention to jazz music outside the usual listeners. His next point hits home as well.
>However, if Washington wants to be taken seriously by serious jazz musicians, his next disc should really double down on great playing.
I'll at least hope at least he grows as a musician, because there's potential in him.
>>61372155
My issue with the album is how much it tried to stretch out certain ideas. Every tune was interesting in the first 20 seconds, and then a slog for the next ten minutes
Washington (and really anyone in the ensemble) just lacks the sufficient improvisational vocabulary to hold anyone's interest for that amount of time
I respect him and hope he does well but damn I really don't like this album
>>61372826
Yeah I really don't get why nearly every track had to be 10 minutes
The only stuff I really liked was the stuff with the female vocalist.
>>61372847
I mean, jazz has been a genre dominated by extended pieces since the mid 40s, but I feel like there was so little substance in each piece, and really over the entire length of the album, that it wasn't even worth it to finish the thing. I see his influences (not like exactly hides them), but Washington is just lacking the spirit and virtuosity necessary to pull off something like this
>>61372406
>>61372529
>>61372551
There are two trombonists. Shaunte Palmer looks to have been on a few crappy looking albums, and Ryan Porter is actually widely employed by popular artists like Diana Krall who, while not amazing, almost certainly wouldn't have shitty players in her group.
>>61373836
thanks! I really should have gone to the full personnel list. Ill relisten with that in mind.
>>61372624
>skipping
>ever
plebeian
>>61374352
>liking every song on an album
>being this much of a rockist pleb
18, 19, or younger?
>>61372155
get '10 Freedom Summers' if you want an amazing free jazz album. This album is untouchable in terms of modern free jazz/jazz
>>61372207
nah its a shit record and u know that
>>61374385
>ad-hom to try and justify skipping
P L E B
L
E
B
>>61372155
Did it ever occur to you that /mu/ is a minority in thinking that the album is bad, and that the majority of people who listened to it enjoyed it greatly for various reasons, most of which are subjective anyways?
>>61374617
/mu/ doesn't listen to jazz. this is probably /mu/s first jazz album outside of the few people one here who've actually listened to the classics from decades ago.
>>61374614
>rockist
>ad hom
lol
you probably ARE 18 after all.
>>61372155
Please name some jazz records better than this? Bonus points if they are released within the last decade.
>>61374729
Ten Freedom Summers - Wadada Leo Smith
2012
>>61374475
>all that shit tier hip-hop and entry level free jazz
fuck off, tourist
>>61374729
In the Orbit of Ra - Sun Ra & His Arkestra
2014
>>61374617
most of their reasons being "its the only modern jazz I've heard
>>61374729
Ibrahim Maalouf - Wind
Pat Metheny - The Way Up
Mark Turner - Lathe of Heaven
Vijay Iyer - Break Stuff
Ed Calle - Mamblue
>>61374811
literally typed "freedom" in my search bar and thats what came up.
This is probably only 30% of my music
>>61374811
>Tribe Called Quest
>ATLines
>shit-tier
seems like you're the tourist
>>61374729
Austin Peralta - Endless Planets
Paavo - Paavo
Most of Matana Roberts' work.
That's stuff from the last few years. I don't listen to much recent jazz but I could mention some similar albums that are significantly better. It's not exactly hard.
Elton Dean's Ninesense - Oh! For The Edge
Joe McPhee - Nation Time
McCoy Tyner - Atlantis
Azar Lawrence - Bridge Into The New Age
Henry Franklin - The Skipper
Or you could just point to most of Miles Davis' fusion work.
>>61374729
why aren't you responding to these?
>>61374772
>>61374823
>>61374824
>>61374914
>>61374729
Any Polish Jazz record ever.
>>61374936
lol
>>61375040
What?
funny how he never replied to the people who posted better albums
Isn't it hilarious how Washington's Epic is not even the best triple jazz album of the year.
>>61375384
Hello Scaruffi
>>61375408
??? Scaruffi hasn't put out a review in months.
>>61376249
Nice try faggot.
garbage taste btw that Jazz is sloppy and just for avant teens
>>61376376
Not him but what exactly makes it for avant teens?
