Music

CD of the Month

With so many new jazz CDs being released every week, you can trust Program and Music Director Marcellus Shepard to select the best new offerings. WEAA’s CD of the Month is carefully selected from hundreds of albums, and our hosts play selected tracks from the release throughout that month’s jazz programming. In addition, listeners have several opportunities throughout the month to win the CD and add it to their own collections.

March CD: Heads of State, Four in One

WEAA

Published March 1, 2017 at 10:44 AM EST

Four jazz giants and living legends collide once again on the Smoke Session Recording label. Four in One is the latest effort of the Heads of State, which is comprised of saxophonist and Baltimore native Gary Bartz; pianist Larry Willis; drummer Al Foster; and the latest addition to the ensemble, bassist David "Happy" Williams.

This marks their second recording and it features original tunes from each member of the quartet, as well as selections by a few jazz icons that mentored the members individually over the years.

The initial recording of the Heads of State, Search for Peace (2015), was more in the vein of a McCoy Tyner ensemble. This one spreads out even further as they tackle music from Thelonius Monk, Wayne Shorter, Eddie Harris and even Charlie Parker. Heads of State also re-record a Bartz classic in the tune, "And He Called Himself A Messenger,” which happens to be one of my favorites.

Tune in all month long to hear various selections from Head of State with “Four in One”, our CD of the month here on Your Source for Cool Jazz & More, WEAA 88.9FM.