Review Summary: Short and Sweet taste of human nature in Kamasi Washington's latest EP/LP.
Kamasi Washington is one of the very few modern Jazz composers making Jazz enthusiasts turn their heads and come to the realization that not only is jazz not dead, but it is thriving everywhere. Mr. Washington hails from L.A. where he attended UCLA’s music school where he began playing with faculty members such as Kenny Burrell, Billy Higgins and band leader/trumpeter Gerald Wilson. He mostly plays tenor saxophone and he is proven to already be a master at playing it at the baby age of 36 in the jazz community. Not only that but he is one intelligent composer for all the instruments that he brings in on his records.
His first album titled “The Epic” is basically the most transforming and grooving three-hour jazz record that anyone can listen to. It has extreme color, texture, spunk, and charisma. You should basically stop whatever you’re doing and take a listen to the amazing craft of “The Epic” But, onto “Harmony of Difference”. First this is a lot of the same from “The Epic” but in much more manageable size. The record is only 36 minutes long instead of 3 hours. Plus, all the songs but one is around 4 minutes, which is unheard of for this monster composer. Each song takes you through a set of human characteristics: “Desire,” “Humility,” “Knowledge,” “Perspective,” and “Integrity.” Then the last song sums up everything into a nice 12-minute composition into what every human want “Truth.”Every single composition takes you through exactly through what the word means to Kamasi and his group of composers. The boldness and rashness of “Desire.” The alarming and cutting of “Humility.” The passion and energy in “Knowledge.” The whimsical and flamboyant nature of “Perspective.” And lastly the simplistic and oddness of “Integrity.”Individually they are soothing and play with every ounce of emotion in your body. Together they play a story of human nature and of human life. The highs and lows that all human beings go through until we all end up at our wanted truth by the end.
In general all the instruments add a great sense of flow and texture that without them the song would be missing something. Missing a key ingredient to this very complex soufflé of “Harmony of Difference”.
Mr. Washington also brings in a lot more instruments then he did in “The Epic” like electric and acoustic guitar, flute, vibraphone, and electric base. He is experimenting with these different rhythms and feels so maybe in future projects he can incorporate them even more. The best of it all is the soaring and angelic chorus that he brings. They add this un earthly feel to the songs. That no normal human could even begin to understand these songs unless if you are ready for them.
Overall it is just an intense, mind-pleasing, and most gratifying record of the year so far. Would a hundred percent recommend it if you are in anyway a fan of jazz music!
