Heaven and Earth (Kamasi Washington album)

Last updated
Heaven and Earth
Heaven and Earth (album).jpg
Studio album by
Kamasi Washington
ReleasedJune 22, 2018 (2018-06-22)
Studio Electro-Vox Recording, Henson Recording Studios and Stagg Street Studios, Los Angeles, California
Genre
Length183:21
Label Young
Producer Kamasi Washington
Kamasi Washington chronology
Harmony of Difference
(2017)		Heaven and Earth
(2018)		 The Choice
(2018)
Singles from Heaven and Earth
  1. "Fists of Fury"
    Released: April 10, 2018
  2. "The Space Travelers Lullaby"
    Released: April 10, 2018
  3. "Street Fighter Mas"
    Released: June 20, 2018

Heaven and Earth is the fourth studio album by American jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington. It was released on June 22, 2018, through Young Turks Recordings. [2] [3] Both CD and LP versions of the album contain an extra disc called "The Choice" which is hidden within a closed part of the packaging which must be cut open to access the disc. [4] The Choice was released digitally as a separate LP on June 29, 2018.

Contents

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.3/10 [5]
Metacritic 86/100 [6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The A.V. Club A− [8]
Consequence of Sound A [9]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
The Irish Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [12]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Pitchfork 8.8/10 [14]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Uncut 8/10 [17]

On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 86, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 22 reviews. [6]

AllMusic critic Thom Jurek described the album as " a major dose of Afro-Futurism", and observed: "Heaven and Earth is more a refinement of the ideas expressed on The Epic than an entirely new paradigm. There is less wandering, more focus, more inquiry and directed movement, as well as an abundance of colorful tonal and harmonic contrasts. More than anything else, it establishes Washington as a composer and arranger of dizzying potential and still underscores his twin rep as a soloist and jazz conceptualist." [7] Adam Turner-Heffer of Drowned in Sound described the album as "another incredible, mind-opening exploration into Washington’s ideas of creation in the universe". [18]

The Guardian critic Alexis Petridis named it album of the week and wrote: "The US saxophonist has found his time and it is now: this excellent album connects politics with the jazz of the past to create an angrily inclusive new vision...On Heaven and Earth, Washington continues to explore a sweet spot between artistry and approachability. Whether his success will lead audiences to further explore music that usually exists on the fringes is an interesting question. What is more certain is the quality and accessibility of his own music". [10] Nate Chinen of Pitchfork awarded the album "Best New Music", writing, "Far and away the strongest musical statement of his career, it’s also an exercise in contrast, if not outright contradiction ... Washington remains enamored of the jazz tradition even as he insists on reshaping it. The heart of the complaint against him in jazz circles is his limited range as an improviser. He has no real instinct for developing harmonic momentum in a solo, and he slips too often into pentatonic pattern-work, as if an algorithm were kicking in. On the other hand, Washington’s strengths have never been clearer. His sound is sinewy and centered, his rhythmic footing sure. And he’s a catharsis engine who also knows when to shrewdly dial it back" [14]

Rolling Stone's Hank Shteamer wrote, "Washington is less a vanguardist than a crafty, retro-minded synthesist in love with a large canvas. His latest – shorter than his prior full-length, but still clocking in at close to two and a half hours – is a sprawling, eclectic set that ranges from the slightly tepid to the truly transcendent...If some tracks hit harder than others, Washington’s obsession with ear-catching detail is impressive throughout. These two discs are filled with memorable flourishes". [16] Consequence of Sound's Tyler Clark wrote, "Kamasi Washington capitalizes on both his newfound fame and his journeyman work ethic to produce a follow-up that’s more intimate and just as daring at the same time. Listening to Heaven & Earth will give you a better sense of Washington, the man and the artist, as well as the moods and textures of the America in which he resides. It’ll also give you the chance to say you heard him when he was still, it seems, on the ascent towards the heights of his considerable powers". [19] In The New York Times , Giovanni Rossonello wrote, "Mr. Washington still suffers gentle disdain from some in New York, where the international jazz scene is unofficially headquartered. It’s a town he’s never felt obligated to join — or to beat. A common criticism is that his music isn’t doing anything new — it’s a classic old complaint, and it doesn’t stick here ... On Heaven and Earth there’s a balance between big-stroke conceptualism — the first CD, “Earth,” is meant to represent worldly preoccupations; the second, “Heaven,” explores utopian thought — and the workmanlike reality of collaboration. The two collections don't vary significantly in terms of sound; instead, they're a testament to the sturdy rapport of Mr. Washington's ensemble, made up of Los Angeles musicians who have been playing together for years". [20]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Kamasi Washington, except where noted

Earth
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Fists of Fury [21] "James Wong, Joseph Koo, Ku Chia Hui (arr. Kamasi Washington)9:42
2."Can You Hear Him" 8:54
3."Hub-Tones" Freddie Hubbard 9:09
4."Connections" 8:23
5."Tiffakonkae" 9:24
6."The Invincible Youth" 9:52
7."Testify"Kamasi Washington (music), Patrice Quinn & Kamasi Washington (lyrics)5:43
8."One of One" 9:50
Total length:71:06
Heaven
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Space Travelers Lullaby" 10:31
2."Vi Lua Vi Sol" 11:06
3."Street Fighter Mas" 5:57
4."Song for the Fallen" 12:41
5."Journey"Kamasi Washington (music), Patrice Quinn (lyrics)8:50
6."The Psalmnist"Ryan Porter7:18
7."Show Us the Way" 6:51
8."Will You Sing" 10:12
Total length:73:32
The Choice
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Secret Of Jinsinson" 8:07
2."Will You Love Me Tomorrow"Gerald Goffin, Carole King (arr. Kamasi Washington)9:40
3."My Family" 6:35
4."Agents Of Multiverse"Chris Dave, Kamasi Washington5:22
5."Ooh Child"Stan Vincent8:53
Total length:38:37

Personnel

Additional musicians

Charts

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Jurek, Thom. "AllMusic Review by Thom Jurek". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  2. ↑ Blistein, Jon (April 10, 2018). "Kamasi Washington Previews LP 'Heaven and Earth' With Two New Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  3. ↑ Young Turks: album details, accessed August 6, 2018
  4. ↑ "Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth (2018, CD)". Discogs .
  5. ↑ "Heaven & Earth by Kamasi Washington reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  6. 1 2 "Heaven & Earth by Kamasi Washington Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  7. 1 2 Jurek, Thom. "Heaven & Earth – Kamasi Washington". AllMusic . Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  8. ↑ Gerardi, Matt (June 22, 2018). "Kamasi Washington, Heaven And Earth". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  9. ↑ Clark, Tyler (June 20, 2018). "Kamasi Washington Earns Every Minute of Heaven and Earth". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  10. 1 2 Petridis, Alexis (June 21, 2018). "Kamasi Washington: Heaven and Earth review – passionate sounds of the gathering storm". The Guardian . Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  11. ↑ Kaplan, Ilana; Hasted, Nick (June 20, 2018). "Album reviews: 5SOS, Bebe Rexha, Nine Inch Nails and more" . The Independent . Archived from the original on 2022-05-09. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  12. ↑ Van Nguyen, Dean (June 22, 2018). "Kamasi Washington: Heaven and Earth review – A jazz genius at work". The Irish Times . Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  13. ↑ Mulvey, John (July 2018). "Kamasi Washington: Heaven and Earth". Mojo (296): 94.
  14. 1 2 Chinen, Nate (June 22, 2018). "Kamasi Washington: Heaven and Earth". Pitchfork . Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  15. ↑ Howe, Rupert (Summer 2018). "Celestial Sounds". Q (387): 115.
  16. 1 2 Shteamer, Hank (June 21, 2018). "Kamasi Washington's New 'Heaven and Earth' is Another Sprawling, Style-Hopping Epic". Rolling Stone . Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  17. ↑ Pattison, Louis (July 2018). "Kamasi Washington: Heaven and Earth". Uncut (254): 29. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  18. ↑ Turner-Heffer, Adam (June 20, 2018). "Kamasi Washington- The Epic". Drowned in Sound . Archived from the original on August 6, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  19. ↑ Clark, Tyler (June 21, 2018). "Kamasi Washington Earns Every Minute of Heaven and Earth". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  20. ↑ Rossonello, Giovanni (June 20, 2018). "Kamasi Washington, Still in an Epic Mind-Set on 'Heaven and Earth'". The New York Times . Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Kamasi Washington - Heaven And Earth". Discogs.
  22. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Kamasi Washington: Heaven and Earth" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  27. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  29. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  30. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  32. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  33. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  34. ↑ "Kamasi Washington Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  35. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2018". Ultratop. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
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