Iconic Jazz Album Covers | Musicians & Record Labels

Whilst it’s undoubtedly the music that brought the greatest musicians to prominence, jazz album covers have played an important role in catching the eye and developing a memorable style for both the musicians and the record labels involved.

Jazzfuel thought it would be a fun exercise to highlight some of the more striking ones, with a rundown of some of the best…!

Famous Record Label Album Covers
Certain record labels in the history of jazz have placed a big focus on developing not just a consistent sound and style, but also a visual image.

Blue Note Records Album Covers
The most iconic label of the 1960s hard bop era, Blue Note album covers were a partnership between the iconic photography of label co-founder Francis Wolff and the distinctive design work and bold typography of Reid Miles.

Under the artistic direction of this team, the cover art of the era succeeded in not just catching the eye visually, but also promoting the bandleader themselves.

Final Thoughts…As every fan knows, jazz is much more than just a series of notes; the style much more than a way of playing them. 

Source: Jazzfuel/Matt Fripp