''Harmony of Difference'' is a studio
EP by American jazz saxophonist and bandleader
Kamasi Washington. It was released on September 29, 2017, through the
Young Turks record label.
''Harmony of Difference'' is a concept album, described as a "six-movement suite" in the liner notes. The sixth track on the album, "Truth," makes up nearly half the album's length, and combines the melodies and musical ideas from the first five tracks, tying them together in a dramatic finish.
The album received considerable acclaim from critics, and the song "Truth" made several end-of-year best-of lists.
Critical reception
''Harmony of Difference'' received general acclaim by music critics upon its release. At
Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 81, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 13 reviews.
critic Thom Jurek praised the album for being "chock-full of refreshing, sophisticated ideas, all balanced by an emphatic inclusiveness that engages the listener at both musical and emotional levels".
Mark Richardson, executive editor of ''
Pitchfork'', awarded the album the "Best New Music" tag, lauding its "tireless ambition" and "explosively grand compositions and arrangements".
Nick Roseblade of ''
Drowned in Sound
''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums.
History
''D ...
'' had special acclaim for album closer "Truth", calling it a "stand out moment" with "infectious pop sheen", despite its length.
In a less enthusiastic review for ''
The Guardian'', critic John Lewis found all the songs on the EP to suffer from "big, blustery, banal, unsatisfyingly static melod
esthat
rerepeated over and over and over again, restated each time by horns, guitar, strings and choir". Lewis did, however, find praise for the "impressive band, particularly drum pairing
Ronald Bruner Jr and Tony Austin, who rumble away excitedly and add a
Coltrane-ish intensity to proceedings".
Accolades
Popular culture
“Truth,” the sixth and final track on the album, is featured in the final scene of the
Showtime drama ''
Homeland'', as the fate of the show’s protagonist is revealed to the audience.
Track listing
Personnel
* Kamasi Washington – tenor saxophone, band leader
*
Miles Mosley – double bass
*
Ronald Bruner, Jr.
Ronald Ray Bruner Jr. (born October 5, 1982) is an American jazz drummer, composer and producer.
He has played with hardcore punk/crossover thrash band Suicidal Tendencies. Bruner was part of the band that received a Grammy Award for Best Cont ...
– drums and percussion
*
Terrace Martin – alto saxophone
*
Thundercat Thundercat or Thundercats may refer to:
* Thundercat (snowmobile), a series of snowmobiles produced by Arctic Cat
* Thundercat (musician), stage name of Stephen Lee Bruner, an American musician
* ThunderCats, a media franchise, featuring a fictio ...
– electric bass
* Tony Austin – drums and percussion
* Brandon Coleman – keyboards
* Cameron Graves – piano
* Ryan Porter – trombone
* Igmar Thomas – trumpet
* Dontae Winslow – trumpet
* Artyom Manukyan – cello
* Peter Jacobson – cello
* Rickey Washington – flute
* Matt Haze – guitar
* Nick Mancini – vibraphone
* Andrea Whitt – viola
* Molly Rogers – viola
* Chris Woods – violin
* Jen Simone – violin
* Paul Cartwright – violin
* Tylena Renga – violin
* Doctor Dawn Norfleet – choir
* Dexter Story – choir
* Dustin Warren – choir
* Jimetta Rose Smith – choir
* Mashica Winslow – choir
* Patrice Quinn – choir
* Steven Wayne – choir
* Taylor Graves – choir
*
Thalma De Freitas – choir
* Amani Washington – painting
References
{{reflist
2017 EPs
Kamasi Washington albums
Albums recorded at Electro-Vox Recording Studios
Young (record label) albums