Tag: Kamasi Washington

Ami Taf Ra – “The Prophet & The Madman” review

Moroccan born albeit Los Angeles, California raised singer/songwriter Ami Taf Ra making her full-length studio debut. Her husband Kamari Washington has become the most revered saxophonist of the past decade, dropping the crown jewel of Brainfeeder Records’ entire catalog with The Epic during my senior year of high school. However, she’s signing to Flying Lotus’ independent imprint distributed by Ninja Tune herself & introducing the world to who she is artistically through The Prophet & The Madman.

After the “Speak to Us” intro, the 2nd single “How I Became a Madman” begins with Ami & her husband taking inspiration from “Packard Goose” by Frank Zappa for a spiritual vocal jazz opener whereas the 4th & final single “The Prophet” asks herself how can she go in peace without sorrow. “God” goes for a Parliament-Funkadelic vibe continuing to depict themes of spirituality just before the soulfully jazzy “Love” yearns to be spoken to of affection.

“My Friend” incorporates some jaw-dropping guitar work from Brandon Coleman likening herself to a garment she wears rather than what she sees while “Children” sings over acoustics suggesting to give your children your love instead of your thoughts. “Gnawa” comes through with a passionate love letter to her Moroccan roots & after “Gibran” compositionally enhances the spiritual jazz fusions, final song “Khalil” ahead of the “Speak to Us” outro sends off the LP with a powerful 10 minute vocal jazz closer.

The Epic remains my favorite jazz album of the 21st century, so I was all on board the idea of Kamasi Washington returning to the label he dropped it under to help his wife produce her own debut & I think Ami Taf Ra can reach that point of making something as equally groundbreaking a few years from now. The Prophet & The Madman is basically her take on the spiritual jazz/jazz fusion sound her husband has become known for except she’s putting a vocal soul jazz twist to it confronting topics like duality, healing & ancestral memory.

Score: 4/5

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Kamasi Washington – “Fearless Movement” review

Los Angeles, California tenor saxophonist Kamasi Washington has returned for his 5th full-length LP & his 2nd with Young Recordings. Becoming a fan during my senior year of high school after signing to Brainfeeder Records, his 3rd album albeit his only one with the label The Epic went down as the best jazz record of the century so far proving the genre isn’t dead after all by embarking on an aptly titled 3 hour spiritual jazz experience. Kamasi’s last album Heaven & Earth was also 3 hours in length, expanding on the spiritual sounds from last time including the additional influences of jazz fusion or soul jazz & post-bop too. However after a 6-year gap, he’s making a comeback on Fearless Movement.

“Lesanu” begins with a 9 & a half minute spiritual jazz opener with horns, pianos & saxophones whereas “Asha the First” by Ras & Taj Austin of the group Coast Contraaccompanied by Thundercat on the hook fuses soul jazz & jazz rap together talking about light shining from the tree along with reassuring everyone their higher selves emitting & that nobody can run from impending doom. “Computer Love” performed by Patrice Quinn covers one of Zapp’s biggest hits & I understand given the rise in technology we’ve seen in recent memory, but then “The Visionary“ serves as a colorful 70 second instrumental breather with additional production from Terrace Martin.

D Smoke & Parliament-Funkadelic leader George Clinton link up on “Get Lit” fusing jazz rap with jazz-funk & psychedelic soul referring to themselves as children of the light in the nighttime on top of a flame not losing any light by lighting another just before “Dream State” co-produced with André 3000 gets back to the spiritual jazz fusion bag additional pulling inspiration from nu jazz, ambient music & post-minimalism. “Together” by BJ the Chicago Kid brings back the soulfully jazzy vibes from earlier singing about ruing the days his lover would gain if they didn’t break up just before the progressive lead single “The Garden Path”crosses over jazz fusion & soul jazz in a technical fashion.

“Road to Self (K.O.)” begins the last leg of Fearless Movement in the form of a 13 & a half minute electric jazz roller coaster ride that makes you feel like you’ve taken shrooms or a tab of acid moments prior while “Interstellar Peace (The Last Stance)” seems like the perfect fit to have playing in the background of the beginning of a sci-fi movie, particularly during the opening credits sequence. “Lines in the Sand” nears the LP’s conclusion with another astral/soul jazz hybrid referring to the sand-lines keeping everyone so far from the dream & that they can’t tell them what to thing that is until “Prologue” perfectly rounds everything out incorporating nu jazz & jazzstep undertones into this 1 final spiritual jazz/jazz fusion composition full of passionate, improvisational energy.

Heaven & Earth further proved that jazz music is very much alive with it’s larger-than-life compositions full of celestial grandeur & his distinct blend of jazz, Latin, funk, classical, hip hop & soul breaking ground for the genre’s present like The Epic. Fearless Movement offers something different with it’s terrestrial rhythms & collaborations from MCs, musical icons & even Kamasi Washington’s own daughter culminating in surpassing both DOMi & JD Beck’s debut Not Tight and even André 3000’s solo debut New Blue Sun as the best jazz album of this decade as of me writing this. You still get the predominant spiritual jazz fusion that Kamasi is known with additional elements of soul jazz, jazz rap, nu jazz, psychedelic soul jazz & jazzstep.

Score: 4.5/5

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