Kamasi Washington Reveals 'Truth' Of The Human Condition In Short Film & Announces EP


Kamasi Washington had been a staple session musician on Los Angeles scene before his 2015 debut, The Epic. However, after The Epic's arrival, Kamasi was rightfully heralded as one of the leaders of the new jazz vanguard. 2017 finds the saxophonist further pushing creative boundaries, with a piece of his being featured in The Whitney Biennial at New York's famed Whitney Museum. The work, titled Harmony of Difference, features six musical movements performed by Kamasi and his collaborators, with five being accompanied by images created by his sister, Amani Washington. The sixth movement, however, features a short film directed by A.G. Rojas. Now, Kamasi has released the short film, titled "Truth," as a standalone piece for all to enjoy.

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"Truth" is a dazzling film featuring images of everyday life artfully captured for the camera. While Kamasi's meditative and masterful piece plays, seemingly mundane moments, like a mother and son sitting on a couch or a religious ceremony, are given loving reverence. That soon breaks into a black-and-white scene based on the Roy Decarava's 1954 photograph Ellington Session Break, with two men dressed in black sitting still in what looks like a rehearsal space as a sax solo takes the song closer to a traditional, mid-century jazz sound. The camera pulls closer and closer to the figure reading the paper in the corner as the song swells and strings are added into the mix. The film's next and final act returns to a similar theme as the first but also mixes in a few artistic still shots in with scenes of the everyday. The film, in both its parts and as a whole, makes for an arresting visual that puts the beauty of life into a profound context.

Along with "Truth" comes the announcement that Kamasi will release an EP, also to be called Harmony of Difference, this summer on which the reverential number will be featured. While we wait the release of the project, witness Kamasi's beautiful vision in "Truth" below.

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