I'm a music listener that makes selections based on my mood and energy level. During the holiday season, I somehow stumbled upon the song Change of the Guard by Kamasi Washington. And it was epic. An epic mood booster. And epic productivity booster. An epic vibe. An epic song. Epic jazz.
I described the song to Andrew just as I have to you, and then quickly looked up Washington, so that I could listen to whatever amazing album the song had to have come from. And when I finally came upon said album, I chortled with laughter as I found it was so wonderfully titled, wait for it.... yes-- The Epic.
Understand, Change of the Guard, is just over 12 minutes long, and that's only a fraction of this 17 song, nearly 3 hour long, 3 disc album. And I soak it in. All of it. Again and again.
Washington is a 34 year old saxaphonist and composer with a large resume for such someone his age. And while jazz isn't the first thing I'd normally put on the stereo, something about The Epic speaks to me. It's original and fresh and contemporary, yet plays a variation of them on other pieces you may be familiar with at times. Not only is it epic in a figurative sense, but it is truly an epic in the sense of the literal word meaning-- a long story. I say that because as you listen to the album you feel as though you're hearing a story through the music which leads you on a journey from start to finish.
And on that note, I'll be heading into my studio, The Epic on the stereo, preparing to launch into another productive day to the vibes of some epic jazz.