Gil Scott album covers

I looked at some of Gil Scott-Herons other vinyl covers including previous versions of the coves I am working on. I anted to get an idea of how practitioners had previously approached the design process. 

The covers all use muted colours and feature Gil Scott-Heron as a central part of the composition. I would like to keep to this tradition and create a composition that pays homage to these designs but in my own style. These covers do very little if anything at all to communicate the title or message of the record itself they promote the music based on fans knowledge of the musician. There is not even a background in any of these covers, the consist of purely the musician in front of a black background making sure he is the only focus of the viewers attention. i would like to try and communicate more of the themes of the music through my cover, my practice is focused on communication through images and I would like to use this project as a opportunity to further my skills. I will need to make sure I create an image that is appropriate for the purpose of the finished product. The cover needs to instantly grab the attention of its audience and communicate the personalty of the musician.