ALBUM OF THE WEEK

Kamasi Washington’s set at Auckland’s Powerstation in March was remarkable, not just because he filled the venue with an eclectic mix of music fans, but also because, in light of the saxophone player’s outstanding new album Heaven and Earth, it appears his performance only grazed the surface of his true powers. His follow-up to 2015’s Epic is a 16-song tour de force that combines hip-hop, soul, computer-game soundtracks, Black Lives Matter anger, Sun Ra orchestration, choirs and his virtuoso tenor sax in an unnerving, chaotic, glorious whole. Washington is renowned for having brought jazz back into the limelight. With Heaven and Earth, he has created the perfect soundtrack to our frenetic, fractured world. HEAVEN AND EARTH, Kamasi Washington (Rhythmethod)