Hi, everyone. Denthany Scraff-Tano here, the internet's busiest music nerd. It's time for a review of this new Kamasi Washington album, Fearless Movement: Saxophonist, Bandleader, Kamasi Washington. It's been almost 10 years now since he broke out with The Incredible The Epic back in 2015, a triple album released on Flying Lotus's Brain Feater Records that somehow got a lot of young music listeners into spiritual jazz for the first time. It's hard to sum up an album of this size, but all in all, it's an amazing album, amazing performances on it that really lives up to its name, given how massive some of the recordings on this LP are. It's a testament to Kamaski's abilities as a band leader that it all comes together as cohesively as it does, which was really one of the Epik's greatest strengths, which is why its follow-up, Heaven and Earth, was a slight disappointment for me. This double album may have been a bit shorter than the epic in terms of length, but the layers instrumentally were even larger with numerous tracks on this thing, showing these long linear progressions that ended in these instrumentally dense crescendos. And while larger instrumental presentations and more details are not inherently a bad thing, piling it all on in the way that Kamasi and his band were led to a lot of these tracks losing the core dynamics that make jazz music so appealing to begin with.

So with that, I was wondering if there would be a change of pace or a realignment for the next record Kamasi would eventually release. In fact, I even I assumed that that would be the case given that some of the singles in the lead up to this album over here seem like they were going back to basics for Kamasi. There was the Garden Path, which is certainly grandiose in its own right, with its stacked high horn layers and huge group of vocal passages, but none of that takes away from the rhythm section, which is still absolutely fire, just really the engine that fuels the entire track. And a majority of the song's run time is devoted to band chemistry and great solo passages, which could also be said the closing track to this thing, Prolog. In my opinion, this track is an even more intense ride and features some fiery theme melodies and some space-age synthesizers, too, which bring a intergalactic energy. There's also Dream State featuring André 3000, which is a jazz fusion track that takes a very mystical and dreamy angle in the first leg and then picks up with some killer Grooves and woodwind arpeggios in the second half.

So needless to say, I went into this LP with high hopes, but those hopes were quickly dashed, if I'm being honest, even with some other jammy highlights among the deep cuts, like the mesmerizing 13 Minute Road to Self, and a pretty strong opening track, too, that sets the tone of the record very well, with some spoken word passages, chanting, organs and group clapping in the background, too, that feel pulled right out of the spirituals playbook. Add on to that more impassion solo passages and dizzying drum fills. This track is as organic as it is thrilling. That being said, though, I think a key element of this record, just like its predecessor, Heaven and Earth, is It's collaborating, crossing over, creating different stylistic and genre fusions. It's as Kamasi is waiting outside of the jazz world that some of this record's tracks become weak. For example, the tone of the group vocals that kick off Asha the first are just theatrical in the worst possible way. Meanwhile, the rapping that is all over the second half of the track just doesn't really fit the vibe. Obviously, jazz and rap music historically historically have a lot of crossover appeal and have melded quite well over the years, too.

I just think there are rap styles that would have fit over this instrumental a lot better. Surprisingly in the tracklist, there's also a cover of Zappin' Roger's Tech Age romance synth funk classic, Computer Love, which Kamasi and his collaborator string out in a very dramatic fashion. And personally, taking the song in this direction, I just don't really get a lot out of it. I mean, obviously, it takes a lot of creativity and imagination destination to flip a track like this on its head in the way that this album does. But the silly, tongue-and-cheek, retro futurist camp of the original recording is so key to the song's feel. And hearing that stripped away for this dour, regal, jazz orchestra ballad rendition, and I'm just not crazy about it. It comes across as awkward, but I guess in a way it does lend itself to a greater to focus on the album stylistically because the next track on the record, Get Lit, features George Clinton, who is a psych funk and synth funk legend in his own right. However, this track I'm even less of a fan of as Kamasi and his band attempt to muster up a funkier groove that doesn't quite work.

The joy and thrill of the type of music George Clinton is usually involved with just does not come through on this track. Plus, in the second half, we are subjected to more awkward wrapping from another feature. And the issue is there's too many tracks like this that throw off the vibe, that throw off the momentum of the record, especially in the first leg. And like heaven on earth, this record for Kamasi here has some very high highs, but simultaneously as an overall piece, especially for an album that is as lengthy as it is, it's pretty spotty, which is why I'm feeling a decent two strong six on it. Tran. Zission, have you given this album a listen? Did you love it? Did you hate it? What would you rate it? You're the best, you're the best. What should I review next? Hit the like if you like. Please subscribe and please don't cry. Hit the bell as well. Over here next to my head is another video that you can check out. Hit that up or the link to subscribe to the channel. Anthony Fantano, Kamasi Washington. Forever.