November 29, 2017 — Game changers in music are all too rare a species. It’s undoubtedly not easy to move a genre forward; it demands a certain combination of talent, courage, and creativity that not even the most gifted musicians always possess. So when you hear a pivotal artist like composer and tenor saxophone player Kamasi Washington, a critic is duty-bound to spread the gospel: This man has that special sauce.
Washington, whose debut album The Epic was one of SoulTracks’ 30 Best Albums of 2015, is back with a new EP, Harmony of Difference, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Jazz Chart.
To his credit, Washington is no purist; he incorporates whatever instrumentation, rhythms and textures suit the song and creates music that is rich and spiritual. His EP is a collection of melodic and refreshingly accessible, beautifully-layered compositions anchored by his soulful solos.
We feature here “Perspective,” an exuberant and funky track on which Washington’s sax soars to greater and greater heights. Enjoy.
By Robb Patryk
