Kamasi Washington - "Fists of Fury"

Kamasi Washington has announced a new record. Heaven and Earth is the follow-up to last year's Harmony of Difference EP and arrives June 22 from Young Turks.

When announcing the new record, Washington tweeted “The Earth side represents the world as I see it outwardly, the world that I am a part of. The Heaven side represents the world as I see it inwardly, the world that is a part of me.” It's a double album comprised of 16 tracks and clocks in around two-and-a-half-hours. "Fists of Fury" is one of two tracks shared earlier this week and it hails from the Earth half of the record. While the blazing saxophone and tickling piano solo are just as brilliant as they've been on his previous work, vocalists Dwight Trible and Patrice Quinn use their words to push Washington towards his most political sound yet. “And when I’m faced with unjust injury / Then I change my hands to fists of fury.” Their message is clear and helps to accentuate the song's blistering horns. “Our time as victims is over / We will no longer ask for justice / Instead, we will take our retribution.” Quinn's spoken section of the track is explicit and takes full control of the song. It's rather atypical for a jazz song to be noted for it's lyrics, but this time around, Washington takes a small step back and allows the words to speak for themselves.