NPR Jazz: Kamasi Washington's 3-Hour Jazz 'Epic,' Complete With Creation Myth

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Kamasi Washington's 3-Hour Jazz 'Epic,' Complete With Creation Myth Posted: 10 May 2015 02:16 PM PDT When Kamasi Washington called his new album The Epic, he meant it. His band has two drummers, two bass players, both piano and keyboards. There are three horns and two lead vocals. There's a 20-piece choir and a 32-piece string section.

JAZZ NIGHT IN AMERICA: WEDNESDAY NIGHT WEBCASTS
May 27: Watch Kamasi Washington's 'The Epic' In Concert

Washington is a very plugged-in Los-Angeles-based saxophonist. He's played on two of the most important albums of the last year: rapper Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly and electronic musician Flying Lotus' You're Dead. As a matter of fact, Lotus owns Brainfeeder, the label that released this new three-CD, nearly three-hour collection.

Kamasi Washington's core band is made up of friends who date back to (or sometimes before) high school. Together, they comprise the collective called The West Coast Get Down.

Washington recently spoke with NPR's Arun Rath about the marathon recording sessions that led to The Epic, his interconnected dreams, and the lessons he's learned from hip-hop.

At 70, Keith Jarrett Is Learning How To Bottle Inspiration

Posted: 10 May 2015 02:51 AM PDT

The jazz pianist is celebrating his birthday with a pair of new releases, one of which documents how his creative process plays out in front of live audiences.

Keith Jarrett hit a milestone this past week: The famed jazz pianist turned 70 years old, and he's decided to mark the occasion with two new releases. One offers his take on two important classical works; the other, Creation, documents how his creative process plays out in front of a host of live audiences.

For Jarrett, inspiration and execution occur almost simultaneously. He doesn't know what he's going to play when; he sits down to play a concert and simply allows the music to come to him. Creation is a collection of live recordings from throughout 2014, reshuffled into what could pass as one long improvised performance.

Jarrett spoke with NPR's Rachel Martin about the challenge of arranging those disparate moments into something cohesive, and how the experience compares to one of his most famous performances ever. Hear the radio version at the audio link, and read an edited version of their conversation below...

read more: http://www.npr.org/2015/05/10/404975326/at-70-keith-jarrett-is-learning-how-to-bottle-inspiration