Harmony of Difference

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Harmony of Difference
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EP by
Kamasi Washington
ReleasedSeptember 29, 2017 (2017-09-29)
StudioVox Recording Studios
(Los Angeles, California)
Genre
Length31:56
LabelYoung
ProducerKamasi Washington
Kamasi Washington chronology
The Epic
(2015) 		Harmony of Difference
(2017) 		Heaven and Earth
(2018)
Singles from Harmony of Difference
  1. "Truth"
    Released: April 13, 2017
  2. "Desire"
    Released: September 27, 2017

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

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.9/10[1]
Metacritic81/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarHalf starFile:Star empty.svg[3]
All About JazzStarStarStarStarHalf star[4]
Clash9/10[5]
Exclaim!9/10[6]
The GuardianStarStarFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg[7]
The ObserverStarStarStarStarFile:Star empty.svg[8]
Paste8.4/10[9]
Pitchfork8.5/10[10]
Rolling StoneStarStarStarHalf starFile:Star empty.svg[11]
The TimesStarStarStarStarFile:Star empty.svg[12]

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.[2] AllMusic 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".[3] Mark Richardson, executive editor of Pitchfork, awarded the album the "Best New Music" tag, lauding its "tireless ambition" and "explosively grand compositions and arrangements".[10] Nick Roseblade of Drowned in Sound had special acclaim for album closer "Truth", calling it a "stand out moment" with "infectious pop sheen", despite its length.[13]

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[ies] that [are] repeated 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".[7]

Accolades

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Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2017
31
[14]
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“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

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All tracks are written by Kamasi Washington.

No.TitleLength
1."Desire"4:37
2."Humility"2:46
3."Knowledge"3:52
4."Perspective"3:24
5."Integrity"3:47
6."Truth"13:30
Total length:31:56

Personnel

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  • Kamasi Washington – tenor saxophone, band leader
  • Miles Mosley – double bass
  • Ronald Bruner, Jr. – drums and percussion
  • Terrace Martin – alto saxophone
  • Thundercat – 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
  • Daddy Kev – mastering

References

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