The 100 Greatest Jazz Album Covers
Posed with the question, “Who invented jazz album cover design?” Most people will instantly say, Blue Note Records, and Reid Miles in particular. But this would be a gross simplification as well as inaccurate.
What is true is that the record labels that were releasing jazz in the 1940s in 78 albums and then on 10” long playing records were at the forefront of LP design. This is for no other reason other than jazz was the hippest, coolest, and most progressive kind of music around attracting many young designers to the music, who in turn lent their undoubted talents to the genre.
When Norman Granz started his Jazz imprint at Mercury Records it was to David stone Martin that he turned for many of the designs that graced Clef, Norgran and later Verve’s records.
It was through Stone Martin’s working association with Asch Records that he met Granz, and they developed both a friendship and a close working relationship. When Granz gave him the job of looking after all the art needs of Clef Records in 1948.
Besides working freelance, Martin also found time to teach and when the sheer volume of his cover art alone is considered, his prodigious output is apparent. It has been estimated that there are around 400 Clef, Norgran and Verve albums bearing his signature. Some like the Charlie Parker series are instantly recognizable as Martin’s work, while some of his covers for Billie Holiday are less obviously his style. One cover that many would perhaps overlook as Martin’s work is Ella and Louis’s Porgy And Bess (1957).
Over at Blue Note it was another graphic designer, with a passion for jazz, who did many of the label’s early album designs, his name was Paul Bacon. When the label released it’s initial batch of LPs in the early 1950s they featured sleeves designed by a twenty-seven-year-old New Yorker, Bacon. An avid jazz fan, Bacon worked in a small local advertising agency and had got to know Lion through the Newark Hot Club. Bacon’s sleeves sometimes included one of Francis Wolff’s photographs of the artist; it helped them to stand out.
When the new twelve-inch format came along it was Reid Miles, a twenty-eight-year-old designer who had worked for Esquire magazine that came to prominence. His debut for Blue Note, as co-designer with John Hermansader, was a cover for a ten-inch album by the Hank Mobley Quartet in late 1955, but the first album to carry the sole name Reid K. Miles was far from modern – a Sidney Bechet release a few months later.
Perhaps most ironic of all, given that Blue Note album sleeves have become the benchmark against which all modern jazz covers – and those of just about any other album – are measured, Miles was not a jazz fan, but a classical-music lover. Yet perhaps it was his distance from the music that was also his strength, allowing him to approach the design unencumbered by all but the basic details – the album title, the feel of the music, and something about the session. And of course, he had Francis Wolff’s brilliant photographs.
Reid was also interested in photography and began taking his own shots when he didn’t have the right kind of image from Wolff, who was sometimes frustrated by the way Miles drastically cropped his photographs.
Miles wasn’t paid a lot, at around $50 per cover, and often designed several albums on a Saturday, when not at his full-time job. While he did almost every Blue Note cover for the next decade, when swamped with work farmed out jobs to friends, including a young Andy Warhol, then a struggling artist desperate for commissions. Warhol produced three Kenny Burrell album sleeves along with one for Johnny Griffin. In later years, Miles would design covers for Bob Dylan, Chicago, Neil Diamond, and Cheap Trick.
Yet it was also other labels like Prestige and Riverside who also produced some amazing covers, like Relaxin’ with The Miles Davis Quintet that was designed by Esmond Edmonds. Then there’s Don Martin’s amazing work on Miles Davis with Horns or Tom Hannan’s design on the Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins LP.
Other companies, including Columbia, Capitol, RCA Victor, Atlantic, United Artists and some smaller independent labels all had some amazing designs that are all represented in the list that follows.
Into the modern era and the glory days may have passed but there are still some classics as you will see from, our 100 Greatest Jazz album Covers. We’d love to hear from you, as to what are your most loved album covers within the jazz genre. We’ll produce an alternate ‘readers choice’ in the coming weeks.
So, in no particular order, what are the Greatest 100 jazz album covers?
Road Song – Wes Montgomery
Bird and Diz – Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie
Unity – Larry Young
Undercurrent – Bill Evans and Jim Hall
Tutu – Miles Davis
True Blue – Tina Brooks
Third Stream Music – The Modern Jazz Quartet
The Clown – Charles Mingus
Sunday At The Village Vanguard – Bill Evans Trio
Somethin’ Else – Cannonball Adderley
Laughing In Rhythm – Slim Galliard
The Sidewinder – Lee Morgan
2-3-4 – Shelly Manne
Django – Modern Jazz Quartet
Roy and Diz – Roy Eldridge and Dizzy Gillespie
Romantic Warrior – Return to Forever
Freedom Suite – Sonny Rollins
Relaxin’ With The Miles David Quintet – The Miles Davis Quintet
Oscar Peterson Plays Porgy & Bess – Oscar Peterson
Oscar Pettiford – Oscar Pettiford
Out of the Blue – Sonny Red
Oscar Peterson Collates – Oscar Peterson
Ornette! – Ornette Coleman
The Blues And The Abstract Truth – Oliver Nelson
Movin’ Wes – Wes Montgomery
Moondog – Moondog
Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins – Thelonious Monk/Sonny Rollins
Blue Haze – Miles Davis
Boogie Woogie At The Philharmonic – Meade Lux Lewis
Hot Five – Louis Armstrong
Liquid Love – Freddie Hubbard
Lionel Hampton Quintet – Lionel Hampton
Lester Young Trio – Lester Young
The King Cole Trio – King Cole Trio
Midnight Blue – Kenny Burrell
Matador – Kenny Dorham
Kenny Burrell – Kenny Burrell
Blue Train – John Coltrane
In ‘n Out – Joe Henderson
The Jazz Messengers At The Cafe Bohemia Volume 1 – The Jazz Messengers
Jazz At The Philharmonic – Norman Granz
Jazz At The Philharmonic Volume 2 – Norman Granz
Jazz At The Philharmonic Volume 8 – Norman Granz
It’s Time! – Jackie McLean
Miles Davis and Horns – Miles Davis
The Complete Commodore Recordings – Billy Holiday
High Priestess of Soul – Nina Simone
Herbie Nichols Trio – Herbie Nichols
Head Hunters – Herbie Hancock
No Room For Squares – Hank Mobley
Inventions & Dimensions – Herbie Hancock
Hamp and Getz – Lionel Hampton and Stan Getz
Black Radio – Robert Glasper
Patterns in Jazz – Gil Melle
West Coast Jazz – Stan Getz
Getz/Gilberto – Stan Gets, Joao Gilberto
Echoes of New Orleans – Goerge Lewis and His New Orleans Stompers
Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation – Ornette Coleman Double Quartet
Hub-Tones – Freddie Hubbard
The Astaire Story – Fred Astaire
Fancy Dancer – Bobby Humphrey
Esquire’s 1946 Award Winners Hot Jazz – Various Artists
Out To Lunch! – Eric Dolphy
Ella and Louis – Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
Porgy and Bess – Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
Elastic Rock – Nucleus
Anatomy of a Murder – Duke Ellington
Trompeta Toccata – Kenny Dorham
Our Man In Paris – Dexter Gordon
Go – Dexter Gordon
Time Out – The Dave Brubeck Quartet
At The Piano – Count Basie
Cool Struttin’ – Sonny Clark
The Congregation – Johnny Griffin
Come Fly With Me – Frank Sinatra
Coltrane Plays The Blues – John Coltrane
Chet Baker In Milan – Chet Baker
Charlie Parker With Strings – Charlie Parker
The Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite – Chico O’Farrill/Machito
Jazz At The Philharmonic 1949 – Charlie Parker
Unit Structures – Cecil Taylor
The Cat – Jimmy Smith
Blue Light ‘Til Dawn – Cassandra Wilson
Big Band Theory – Carla Bley
Perceptual – Brian Blade Fellowship
Black Fire – Andrew Hill
Bitches Brew – Miles Davis
Billie Holiday Sings – Billy Holiday
Jazz Classics Volume 1 – Sidney Bechet
New Movements In Be-Bop – Lionel Hampton
Moanin’ – Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
A.T.’s Delight – Art Taylor
Point of Departure – Andrew Hill
Gerry Mulligan Presets A Concert In Jazz – Gerry Mulligan
The Dissection and Reconstruction of Music From The Past As Performed By The Inmates of Lalo Schifrin’s Demented Ensemble As A Tribute T oThe Memory of Maquis de Sade – Lalo Schifrin
A New Perspective – Donald Byrd
Let Freedom Ring – Jackie McLean
Monk’s Music – Thelonious Monk
Count Basie – Count Basie
Jazz Concert Volume 2 – Louis Armstrong and the All Stars
UK English
Tim O'Donnell
October 30, 2015 at 9:13 pm
Love is this in book form ?
Ira Hantz
October 31, 2015 at 2:42 am
If you want to talk about great album cover photography, check out Pete Turner’s work on CTI in particular, like Jobim’s Wave, Tamba Four’s We And The Sea being two of my favorites.
Erland Eikestad
September 12, 2017 at 7:06 pm
Agreed! The “CTI”-Covers contains quite a number of Oustanding Colour-Photography! 😉
Recordmanmatt
December 15, 2017 at 12:19 am
I love many of CTI record’s covers.
Jerry
January 10, 2017 at 11:24 am
I’d definitely buy this in a book! But make it 12″ x 12″!
Sam Asselstine
October 30, 2015 at 10:50 pm
Great pieces of art, both visually and listening-wise.
Toad
October 30, 2015 at 11:29 pm
The Atomic Mr Basie, Duke Ellington’s A Drum Is A Woman, practically anything from the ECM label (don’t think I noticed any of theirs on the list)…I shouldn’t get started, we could all add dozens to this list. But it’s a fine list with a lot of good ones, and a lot of fun to look at.
Steve Mars
October 31, 2015 at 12:12 am
A fabulous post, while typing this I looked down at my vinyl and see Bitches Brew poking out
Bill Musselwhite
October 31, 2015 at 6:13 pm
Ella Fitzgerald, Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! Should be on the list.
josé luis mariño lópez
November 1, 2015 at 10:57 pm
I miss some of the great Weather Report covers
Thygesonius Monk
September 27, 2016 at 1:34 am
The one with the storm in the hat – Heavy Weather – comes to mind.
Scott
November 3, 2017 at 4:33 pm
Yeah man, the ‘Heavy Weather’ album cover should have been here.
Tom
November 3, 2015 at 1:01 am
So many to choose from: How about: Enrico Rava “The Pilgrim and the Stars”, Wes Montgomery’s “Bumpin'” half of those glossy CTI gems, Miles’ “Sketches of Spain”, Basie’s “April in Paris” and on and on.
keith brooks
November 29, 2015 at 11:16 pm
no mingus ah um ? ornette this is our music ? max roach we insist ! (!!!)
Luis Vivanco Saavedra
November 30, 2015 at 2:53 am
I was a little sad that from my collection of hundreds of LPs (and a few 78s) only one cover was featured. But anyway, thanks for such a good information, and such wonderful and beautiful covers.
Michael Burke
December 2, 2015 at 4:02 pm
A couple of Columbia albums I love are not here: Miles Davis, Someday My Prince Will Come, and Thelonious Monk album with large B/W profile of him with cigarette in his mouth. Also Jackie McLean, Destination Out. Overall though, a great list…
Yoest
July 10, 2016 at 8:57 am
I could have done without Freddy Hubbards Liquid Sounds haha. That cover is ugly as hell.
Maurizio Pozzilli
July 10, 2016 at 1:55 pm
Copertine fantastiche. Posseggo alcuni di questi LP. Desidero ascoltare anche gli altri.
reggie
July 10, 2016 at 11:00 pm
Come on
Where’ Undeground Monk
Which may be the greatest of all
David Norum
September 25, 2016 at 4:49 pm
My thought exactly
Thom Murphy
July 12, 2016 at 8:17 pm
You omitted “Sit on It” by Jimmy Smith?! Shame on you. Great story though.
tkl
September 25, 2016 at 6:09 pm
Classy collection. A little heavy on the Blue-Note-Side, though. Personally, I’d have picked a few more Impulse!–covers, And definitely more of Jim Flora’s work for Columbia and RCA. You can’t help but think the recording sessions must have taken place in the land of Oz if you stumble upon one of his covers. (The Chagall-goes-William H. Johnson-goes-funny-pages-Satchmo-album up above is one of Flora’s.)
Magical Twilight Orchestra
September 26, 2016 at 3:21 am
Great art is satisfied with the great sound.
Muertelicious
September 26, 2016 at 7:39 am
There doesn’t seem to be any ECM covers here.
copajohn
September 26, 2016 at 1:58 pm
Joe Farrell’s Canned Funk belongs on this list. Period.
Kaila
December 10, 2016 at 6:50 pm
Does anybody know the artist of the checkered covers? It’s right below Kenny Burrell’s Midnight Blues cover
Cecil
December 23, 2016 at 7:47 pm
Kenny Dorham – Matador
Gregory Lake
January 1, 2017 at 11:15 pm
Kenny Dorham’s ” MATADOR ” 1962
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matador_(Kenny_Dorham_album)
Roberto
December 11, 2016 at 6:18 pm
Album covers that are visually appealing compels the music lover to take a listen, even without listening. At least in the old days it was like that. Now you can go online and sample just about any new release, before making a purchase. Check out the classic look of musical visionary Lili Anel’s album “I Can See Bliss From Here.” Timeless black and white image. Very cool!
Frank felicetta
January 11, 2017 at 10:51 pm
I’m trying to find the artist who albums back cover is black and white and it shows a black man seated at a grand piano and another black man at the other end with his large horn sitting upwards on the piano does anyone know who the album is Frank
randall grant
January 20, 2017 at 8:04 pm
Sonny Rollins’ cover for Way out West was a real omission in this selection….
Timothy Flynn
January 20, 2017 at 10:45 pm
Yes a book at 12×12 would be fantastic I would buy it.
Walter
January 21, 2017 at 8:18 am
Correct me if I overlooked something… Nice covers, I’ll admit, but not a single ECM jacket? Amazing…
Walter
January 21, 2017 at 8:22 am
I tried to compliment your choices just now, and also point out the beauty of so many of the ECM covers, but I received a reply saying that I had already posted that same comment. So, I looked carefully at all the comments, but fail to see the posting of my previous comment. What’s up with that?
Jean-françois T.
January 21, 2017 at 9:18 am
have you seen?
#1 BLUE NOTE THE ALBUM ART COVER- 9780811800365
#2 CALIFORNIA COOL -9780811802758
Walter
January 22, 2017 at 2:27 am
Not a single ECM cover?
Walt
January 22, 2017 at 2:29 am
Not one cover from the vaults of ECM. I guess they don’t play jazz there…
Malcolm j Greaves (UK)
February 20, 2017 at 3:22 am
I have a love for very obscure West Coast labels, some look like the printer designed them, but, within this Kitch can be found, Herbie Nichols, Elmo Hope Dexter Gordon, Wynton Kelly etc etc.,Even very early sides by Wayne Shorter.and Ike Quebec.–Hard to find in England, but they are out there.–I guess a vinyl collection is never complete.
geoffrey wheeler
March 11, 2017 at 11:05 pm
Lovely display of very creative covers! The “Anatomy of a Murder” artwork is on display in the Denver Art Museum. Several years ago, I bought a brand new album with pristine cover art!
John Bennett
June 1, 2017 at 12:20 pm
Not one ECM cover?!
Tom
June 2, 2017 at 4:12 am
How ’bout Bobby Watson,s “Post-Motown Bop”, Tony William’s “Angel Street” and Errol Garner’s “Concert by the Sea.”
Enrique Blanquer
June 4, 2017 at 5:22 pm
No Pacific Jazz? No William Claxton? What a pitty.
Ed Larkin
June 11, 2017 at 2:58 pm
Stan Getz – Focus
Miles – Kind of Blue
are miles ahead of most of this stuff.
Ed Larkin
June 11, 2017 at 6:11 pm
Didn’t mean to sound carping – brings back lovely memories of the (to me) golden age of jazz. If you like the 4th cover shown (Bill Evans/Jim Hall Undercurrent) just wait till you hear the music!
Malcolm J Greaves
July 27, 2017 at 3:01 am
In the UK there are four 12″x12″ full colour books on jazz album sleeve designs. Two concentrate on Blue Notes, one called “California Cool”, concentrating on the West Coast labels that flourished in the 50’s and early 60’s—Pacific Jazz, Contemporary,and lesser known labels and a fourth book called “East Coasting” which deals with Riverside, Prestige, Savoy, Verve etc.They cost £17 99p–you’ll have to convert that yourself– each in the UK and are published by Collins and Brown.
Роберт Гумашян
July 27, 2017 at 4:22 am
Candid records MINGUS
Kay Heymer
July 27, 2017 at 8:43 am
Nice list, but it almost completely leaves out European Jazz labels. It would be important to look at the work of ECM snd ACT, for instance.
Steve Wheelock
September 12, 2017 at 11:17 am
Almost anything CTI.
Dee Cee
September 12, 2017 at 7:08 pm
Considering the time period the artwork and offset preparation for print was done by some (a lot) of very talented people. The techniques used for the most basic designs required so much time consuming & “spot on” work. My personal favorite, not pictured was O. Peterson’s “Night Train” and the raw power of a locomotive.
Ckb
September 13, 2017 at 2:17 am
No Sonny Rollins’ Saxophone Collossus or Turrentine’s Sugar?
Bert Hurst
September 14, 2017 at 11:00 pm
So happy you included several by my favorite jazz record cover artist, David Stone Martin.
Recordmanmatt
December 15, 2017 at 12:18 am
I would add Soultrane by John Coltrane, A Love Supreme by John Coltrane, Ellington Uptown, & Ellington at Newport to the list.
Jeffrey Hill
January 21, 2018 at 6:14 pm
How can you omit the many covers painted by Leo Meiersdorff?
Hugo J Lahera
February 10, 2020 at 5:01 pm
May I suggest the Anthony Braxton’s covers.
Andrew bogue
August 16, 2020 at 8:21 pm
Point of interest – the cover of Miles Davis “Miles Davis and Horns” was designed by MAD magazine cartoonist Don Martin, before he joined Mad magazine (where he did some freaky stuff!). . .
Matthieu DROIN
January 20, 2022 at 12:51 pm
Hello,
I’m looking for a jazz album cover with score lines on which you can see birds. Does anyone know and can help me?
Big thanks
DENNIS E
September 21, 2022 at 5:31 pm
For Art Blakey you should have chosen the Indestructible album cover my and my sons favorite. But a lot of great choices.