Fans of Kamasi Washington, whose colossal stature symbolically imposes a new jazz prophet, should be reminded that his mystique is a winning formula: all the ingredients of his work come from earlier eras. African-American choirs and soloists imbued with gospel and soul, classical chamber music at the service of groove, jazz-funk-fusion rehabilitated, 90s hip-hop jazz integrated – in short, forms shaped by previous generations have been taken up by the musician. Roughly speaking, most of the 12 new proposals on the program of the famous post-Coltranian tenorman exude more afronostalgia than Afrofuturism, as one might at first think.Of course, there’s a mega line-up of guests: Thundercat, Taj Austin, Ras Austin, Patrice Quinn, DJ Battlecat, Brandon Coleman, D-Smoke, George Clinton, Bj the Chicago Kid, Andre 3000. Whatever the quality of the reinforcements contributing to the exercise, this music comes from the past, although a whole new context has propelled it to the pinnacle of the jazz renaissance. Then comes this idea: Kamasi’s approach is to contemporary jazz what post-romanticism was to romanticism, a century earlier: ingenious and virtuoso recycling, fervent reiteration of forms accepted for at least 6 decades. Yes, it was very cool to hear this some fifteen years ago, finally a brake on the decline of current jazz and then… the short-tempered impression of redundancy and conformism dominates after a few listens to this Fearless Moment. Force is to deduce that Kamasi Washington enjoys his comfort zone. And that the overwhelming support of his audience, who are most likely not satiated, proves him right. We wish them nothing but the best…
