Happy Thanksgiving to USA folks. How about some jazz album cover history. The music for these is cool too.
Don Martin was a famous comic artist/illustrator for (USA) humor & comic art magazines
Mad (1956-88) and
Cracked (1988-94). Don Martin was most famous for his comic art sound effects:
Before he began work for Mad magazine in 1956, he illustrated the album covers of a few legendary jazz artists for
Prestige Records. "They're still using these covers," Martin told the Orlando Sentinel in 1985. "I got $50."
All 5 albums are early 12 inch albums, and are compilations of records originally released in the 10 inch format. Re-buying music/video in the newest, greatest, format, is a long-standing tradition, evidently. The 10 inch record lost a format war to the 12 inch LP. In no particular order…
Allmusic: “
Miles Davis' first studio session for Prestige Records took place on January 17, 1951, with a front line of Sonny Rollins on tenor and Bennie Green on trombone. Two years later, Davis made his second session of 1953 in the company of Al Cohn and Zoot Sims. These two sessions, featuring a pair of three-horn front lines, make up the music on
Miles Davis And Horns.” From 1956.
The album cover is a long line of runners racing in track uniforms on a road. No song title appears to correlate…
Miles Davis, Miles Davis And Horns, full album
: YouTube link ; Spotify link
Allmusic: “The hard bop trumpeter
Art Farmer performs with an all-star lineup culled from Lionel Hampton's band, of which he was a noted member. This selection of tunes are played by trumpeter and arranger Quincy Jones and saxophonist Gigi Gryce.” 1953-’54 sessions, re-released in 1956.
The album cover shows a septet playing, while sitting in an odd squat. There is a tune called ‘Elephant Walk’ on the album…
Art Farmer, The Art Farmer Septet, full album
: YouTube link ; Spotify link
Allmusic: “
Sonny Stitt is featured on 8 titles, exclusively on tenor, from 2 quartet dates with pianist Bud Powell (in top form), bassist Curly Russell, and drummer Max Roach. In addition, Stitt is a sideman on a quintet outing headed by trombonist J.J. Johnson and also including pianist John Lewis, bassist Nelson Boyd, and Roach. Highly recommended for all serious bop collections.” 1949-’50 sessions re-released in 1957.
The cover is a flock of flying monsters with their mouths agape. Why? Why not?
Sonny Stitt / Bud Powell / J.J. Johnson, full album
: YouTube link ; Spotify link
Trombone By Three is 4 tunes each by trombonists: J.J. Johnson Sextet; Kai Winding Sextet; Benny Green Septet.
Alllmusic: “Top drawer early 50s bop turning hard bop across the three small groups here, with Sonny Rollins in his typical 50s blistering form. Each of the three trombonists are distinctly flavored, and we also get Max Roach and Art Blakey drumming on two thirds of the sessions.” Couldn't find original 10 inch info, a 1956 release.
The cover is a trio of trombonist monks, of course.
J.J. Johnson / Kai Winding / Benny Green, Trombone By Three, full album
: YouTube link ; Spotify link
Allmusic: “Tenor saxophonists
Stan Getz and
Zoot Sims join more tenor luminaries with
Al Cohn, Brew Moore and Allen Eager. The set has 4 originals to complete the 1949 session, all with swinging statements by each soloist. A 1952 sextet date led by Sims and Cohn is also included, offering up another round of original and buoyantly swinging cuts, bolstered by trombonist Kai Winding, pianist George Wallington, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Art Blakey.” Released in 1956.
The 1st song is ‘Five Brothers.’ The cover depicts 12 men in trench coats and fedoras.
Stan Getz, The Brothers, full album
: YouTube link ; Spotify link
While at Mad, in '60-’61, he did covers for 5 percussion-based albums by Canadian
Pierre Du Jardin, and these were wholly in his Mad style.
