Home · Songs · Kamasi Washington · The Rhythm Changes
From album
The Epic
Kamasi Washington · 2015 · Track 6
Details
If you like this, try
The story behind
If there’s a moment in The Rhythm Changes where Kamasi Washington’s saxophone seems to breathe in the same rhythm as the bass, that’s the heart of this piece. It’s not just a jazz track: it’s a conversation where every instrument takes turns leading, yet never loses sight of the groove that keeps them united. The main melody is built on a repeating pattern, but it’s not a flat loop; there are subtle variations that make each repetition sound distinct, as if the theme were evolving in real time. What stands out most is how the saxophone weaves around that rhythm, creating layers that seem to float above the harmonic foundation without breaking it.
The album The Epic was released on May 5, 2015, under the Brainfeeder label, and The Rhythm Changes is one of its longest tracks, clocking in at 8 minutes and 33 seconds. It wasn’t just any record: critics greeted it with enthusiasm, and on At Metacritic it reached an average score of 83 out of 100—a number that reflects near-unanimous recognition of its proposal. But beyond the numbers, what shines is how Washington makes jazz accessible without sacrificing its depth, inviting those who don’t usually engage with the genre to dive into his world. Critic Thom Jurek described it as a bridge between the virtuosic and the emotional, music that matters as much for what it says as for how it says it.