Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth

Review

"HEAVEN AND EARTH" by Kamasi Washington is like hopping into a DeLorean, setting the dials for every era of jazz, and holding on for dear life. Dropped on June 22, 2018, this cosmic double-album catapult launches you between two worlds: the "Earth" side, where Washington splashes his outward perceptions like a painter spitting out colors, and the "Heaven" side, where he dives into the celestial waters of his own mind. Think of "One of One" as a dance off between you and the spirit of Afro-Latin grooves, and "The Space Travelers Lullaby" as a lullaby whispered by stars in the Milky Way.

Kamasi's crew, the Next Step, isn't just riding shotgun - they're the warp drive engine to this interstellar vessel, with cats like Terrace Martin, Brandon Coleman, and Dontae Winslow turning up the throttle. The band weaves through the intricate compositions and genre-crossing soundscapes with the precision of a jazz ninja. Sequenced like a blockbuster movie with plot twists and emotional surges, this album's got all the feels on speed dial. Critics? They've got their jazz hands up in wild applause for this ambitious, brainy, and heart-tugging journey. "HEAVEN AND EARTH" doesn't just plant Kamasi Washington firmly under the spotlight, it’s a blinding supernova in the jazz galaxy. - Zora