Heads of State--Gary
Bartz, Larry Willis, David Williams and
Al Foster--Four of the Most Revered and Influential Jazz Masters Unite
for Sophomore Release, Four in One
Available March 17 on Smoke Sessions Records
"The cumulative wisdom of this all-star
collective simmers well..." - The New York Times
"...it is hard to think of another band of this style to touch them today.
The way they pick up fleeting clues from one another, like a four-way conversation full of allusions, is quite mind-boggling." - The Guardian
The
country as a whole may be bitterly divided over the results of the
recent presidential election, but jazz fans of any political stripe can
rejoice in the return of the music's own Heads of State. With Four in One, the quartet of living legends - saxophonist Gary Bartz, pianist Larry Willis, drummer Al Foster, and their latest addition, bassist David "Happy" Williams
- offer a jubilant, tremendously swinging sophomore release that pairs
original compositions by all four members with pieces by some of the
icons that have mentored them - in many cases personally. As
remembered by Al Foster, "The session had a good feel, everyone was
relaxed. We recorded the album in two sets and it felt kind of like a
live concert. I think it's mostly first takes if not all."
Heads of State made their debut in 2015 with Search for Peace,
recorded just months after they played together for the first time as a
quartet at Smoke Jazz & Supper Club in New York City. Now, with
another year of playing together under their collective belts (on top of
the nearly five decades of relationships shared by the various
members), they return with the aptly-titled Four in One, due out March 17 on Smoke Sessions Records.
The
title comes from the lesser-known Thelonious Monk composition that
opens the album, but it also succinctly captures the strong group spirit
and identity that have been forged by an all-star band that was
originally meant to be a one-time thing. "We're trying as best as we
know how to establish our own identity," Bartz explains, "and not sound
like a jam session band."
Given
the impeccable taste and wealth of experience of all four members,
there was very little chance of a "jam session" sensibility emerging in
any case, but in the short time they've been working together the Heads
of State have developed a lithe and lively group sound that's equal
parts burning and elegant, sharp-edged and gregarious. The band may have
begun life as the Larry Willis All-Stars, assembled to pay tribute to
the legendary McCoy Tyner (with whom Bartz, Foster and original Heads of
State bassist Buster Williams had all played extensively), but very
quickly morphed into a collective unit with a far more expansive
mission.
"I
realized that it would be ridiculous for me to assume any kind of band
leadership with these guys," says Willis about relinquishing his marquee
status. "They're all icons and legends in their own right, so we
decided to co-op."
Foster
sets the tone for the album with a taut hi-hat rhythm to open the title
track, over which Bartz unspools Monk's typically spiky melody. Willis
and Williams soon join to establish a gently simmering tempo, inspiring a
blissful reverie from Willis and an assertive bow from Williams, who
steps into the bass chair having enjoyed decades of collaboration with
his new bandmates along with his renowned tenure in the Cedar Walton
Trio.
"I've
always enjoyed playing with David," Willis says. "We needed somebody
that not only plays good notes but also brings a great attitude and can
swing, and David can do all of that."
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Photo Credit: John Abbott
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Monk is just one of the legendary jazz composers whose work is included on Four in One,
which casts a wider net for material than the quartet's more
Tyner-focused debut (which nonetheless included pieces by John Coltrane,
Jackie McLean and Benny Carter). Bartz plays an entrancingly sinuous
soprano on Wayne Shorter's ethereal "Dance Cadaverous," while Charlie
Parker's "Moose the Mooche" comes in for a particularly brisk, buoyant
treatment. John Lewis' "Milestones" provides the opportunity for the
group to showcase their knack for finger-snapping swing, while their
tenderness shines through on a warm but aching "Someone to Watch Over
Me." From there they shift gears into Miles Davis' hard-charging
"Sippin' at Bells," highlighted by a heavy-duty barrage of a solo by
Foster, and the album concludes with the whipcrack celebration of Eddie
Harris' "Freedom Jazz Dance."
Just
as notable and memorable as these influential artists' playing on these
classics are the original contributions that each make, all of which
sit comfortably alongside these pieces by some of the music's greatest
composers. Bartz's "And He Called Himself a Messenger" is fueled by an
intensely surging pulse, provoking a bold, crashing solo from Willis and
a knotty exploration of the sauntering melody by the composer.
"Aloysius" adds a rare composer credit for Foster, whose work impressed
even Willis, who admits that his friendship with the drummer dates back
to a time when "Moby Dick was a sardine." He adds, "As long as we've
known each other I had no idea that Al could write on the level that he
can."
Willis'
own compositional gifts are in full view on the delicate "The Day You
Said Goodbye," a Michel Legrand-inspired ballad that the pianists says
that he wrote with Tony Bennett's voice in his ears. Indeed, it's not
difficult to imagine the legendary singer wringing a bounty of
heart-wrenching emotion from the tune - especially since the Heads of
State manage to just that without a single lyric being necessary.
Finally, Williams' "Keep the Master in Mind" opens with a wistful Willis
solo, then slowly accumulates bandmates until the infectiously sunny
tune emerges in all its glory.
While
the bands' first album was thrilling because it brought together four
revered and masterful musicians in one place for the first time ever, Four in One may
be even more exciting because it announces their intention to continue
to play and evolve together. Given what happens when these four join
forces, that's one enticing prospect.
"Four in One" was produced by Paul Stache and Damon Smith and recorded live
in New York at Sear Sound's Studio C on a Sear-Avalon custom console at
96KHz/24bit and mixed to ½" analog tape using a Studer mastering deck.
Available in audiophile HD format.
Heads of State Album Releases Performances:
March 17-19 | Smoke Jazz Club | New York, NY
Heads of State · Four in One
Smoke Sessions Records · Release Date: March 17, 2017
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please visit SmokeSessionsRecords.com
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