Album Art Spotlight

Oftentimes, an album’s artwork can be just as iconic as the music itself. In fact, there are many records that are better known for the cover art than the contents within. A perfect example of this is Herb Albert’s 1965 album, “Whipped Cream and Other Delights.” While it was wildly successful upon its initial release, the record has become more famous (or infamous) for the finger-licking whipped cream-covered model than for the loungey, tiki-torch lite jazz instrumentals.
(*Interesting trivia: the model was pregnant at the time of the photo shoot and was actually covered with shaving cream since whipped cream kept melting under the lights. Also, Soul Asylum did a great send-up on their 1988 EP, “Clam Dip and Other Delights”).

Although album art is a dying craft in this increasingly digital world, there are countless examples in all genres of music that have stood the test of time and can be classified as bona fide works of fine art. In this first in a series of articles surveying notable album covers I’ll be taking a closer look at some of the best in jazz .

Blue Note Records

Founded in 1939 by childhood friends Alfred Lion and photographer Francis Wolff, Blue Note Records was one of the most visionary labels in jazz history. Along with engineer Rudy Van Gelder, Blue Note became famous for recording countless jazz giants in almost every style of the genre, from be-bop (Thelonius Monk) to soul jazz (John Patton) to avant garde (Cecil Taylor) and everything in between. Adding to the impeccable quality of the recordings was an unmistakable style of album art and packaging that incorporated stunning photography by Wolff (often of the musicians themselves) and hip graphic design. The “look” of these records is timeless, each one standing on its own as a classic work of art. Here are some of my favorites:

Vol. 2 (Sonny Rollins): Sonny holds his tenor sax and a cigarette bathed in blue light, his silhouette jumping off the pitch black background. It’s a simple, yet powerful image that perfectly conveys the boldness of Sonny’s music.

The Big Beat; Mosaic; Free For All (Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers): Looking at these three album covers, all featuring an ecstatic Blakey in action behind the kit, and you can almost hear (and feel) his powerful and joyous drumming.

Unity (Larry Young): The ultimate in minimalist design, Larry Young’s classic 1965 album cover simply features the title, Unity, in giant letters with four orange circles floating inside the ‘U’. The artwork seems to serve as a plea for people to come together at a time when the country was heading down a path towards great turmoil.

A New Conception (Sam Rivers): Perhaps my favorite design in the entire Blue Note catalog, this cover is the ultimate in hip, mod design. It features a stylish female model dressed in a fur coat and tights, arms folded, foot pointed up, and gaze focused upward and outward. Set against a stark gray background, she looks aloof, yet alluring as if she’s flirting with her playful pose. Dig it!

Miles Davis (various Columbia releases 1969-1974)

Bitches Brew (1969): The stunning painting by Mati Klarwein that graces the cover of Miles Davis’ groundbreaking fusion classic, Bitches Brew, is every bit as bold as the music. The original gatefold design is split into day and night scenes and features mystical portraits of African tribesman and shaman. Striking colors leap off the surface of the surrealist painting, perfectly capturing the intensity of Miles’ latest musical adventure.

Live-Evil (1972): Featuring another mind blowing surrealist vision by painter Mati Klarwein, Live-Evil was also split into two distinct themes – the live side and the evil side. For the live side, Klarwein depicts a naked, pregnant African tribeswoman adorned with an elaborate headdress and giant gold earrings. A woman’s head, with flaming hair, forms from the billows of a deep red ocean, pressing against the tribeswoman’s pregnant belly. For the evil side, Klarwein explained his inspiration, “He asked me to paint a toad for the ‘Evil’ side. So I painted J Edgar Hoover as a toad in drag—which turned out to be another one of my prophetic insights.” Enough said!

On the Corner (1972): Against a striking yellow background, the cover features exaggerated cartoon drawings of African American hipsters (replete with giant Afros, bell bottom polyester pants, hot pink & bold green suits, and platform shoes) doing their thang on the street. It’s a fun study in cosmic Blaxploitation, going hand-in-hand with the deep, psychedelic funk of the album’s music.

This short survey of some of my favorite jazz album covers barely scratches the surface. I’ll be back with another installment for jazz and guest writers will chime in on album art of other genres. In the meantime, let me know what album designs strike your fancy.

1 Comment »