"The Epic is based on a concept, though it's unnecessary to grasp in order to enjoy. The music reflects many inspirations - John Coltrane, Horace Tapscott's Pan-African People's Arkestra, Azar Lawrence's Prestige period, Donald Byrd's and Eddie Gale's jazz and choir explorations, Pharoah Sanders' pan global experiments, Afro-Latin jazz, spiritual soul, and DJ culture. A formidable soloist (he plays his ass off here), Coltrane is [Washington's] greatest influence, but his tone is rawer, somewhere between Sanders and Albert Ayler ... The Epic isn't fusion, retro, or remotely academic. It's 21st century jazz as accessible as it is virtuosic - feel matters to Washington. Holistic in breadth and deep in vision, it provides a way into this music for many, and challenges the cultural conversation about jazz without compromising or pandering".