Today, eleven-time GRAMMY award-winning bassist / composer Christian McBride released “Pick A Card,” the latest song from WXPN’s Philly Anthems, a new project supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage that brings together five acclaimed Philadelphia musicians and seven emerging local artists to write and record 12 original songs inspired by the enduring themes of freedom and independence.

Featuring an all-Philadelphia band consisting of Orrin Evans, Byron Landham and Jeff Bradshaw, “Pick A Card” is a blues-infused reinterpretation of the patriotic marching band music of the 19th century.

About the release, McBride says, “I think of America as this melting pot of somewhat disjointed ideas and many different interpretations of what freedom is. That’s where I came up with the title ‘Pick A Card.’ I imagine a person who has never been to America looking at Uncle Sam dealing some cards and basically saying, ‘Hey, pick one’—and you might get lucky and find some version of freedom that you understand. That’s how I hear America at 250: a lot of conflict, a lot of unwillingness to bend on anyone else’s interpretation. But somehow, you put that all together, and it makes some type of music.”

“Pick A Card” is the fourth release from Philly Anthems, following Lady Alma’s dancefloor-ready “Liberty,” Eliza Hardy Jones’ poignant “America the Beautiful,” and Eric Bazilian’s “Better Times.”

Philly Anthems brings together five acclaimed Philadelphia musicians and seven emerging local artists to write and record 12 original songs inspired by the enduring themes of freedom and independence. The project will feature upcoming new music by Devon Gilfillian, alongside emerging artists Grace Gardener, Black Buttafly, The Bul Bey, JR Everhart, Sug Daniels, Moustapha Noumbissi, and The Flying Vees, who were announced on-air as the winner of the 24 Hour Song Challenge – Philly Anthems Edition.

The project is the newest chapter in WXPN’s four-part Soundtrack to America’s 250th initiative, joining The Philly 250, World Cafe’s Sense of Place: Philadelphia, and Sound of History in celebrating Philadelphia’s musical legacy and its continuing influence.

WXPN General Manager Roger LaMay explains, “As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, we wanted to do more than look back. Philly Anthems is about creating something new—giving Philadelphia artists the opportunity to reflect on themes in the Declaration of Independence that resonate today through original music and add new songs to the city’s remarkable musical legacy. We’re excited to share their songs and stories with audiences over the coming months.”

New Philly Anthems songs will premiere throughout the rest of 2026, with the project culminating in the release of a 12-song vinyl album on Record Store Day 2027 and two concerts.