(via) The Vox series Earworm continues with the fascinating story of how the work of Blue Note Records’ graphic designer Reid Miles came to define the look of the jazz album cover by combining photography and typography in ways that were unique to the medium and the artist.
“When asked to visualize what jazz looks like, you might picture bold typography, two tone photography, and minimal graphic design. If you did, you’re recalling the work of a jazz label that single-handedly defined the “look” of jazz music in the 1950s and 1960s: Blue Note.
Inspired by the ever present Swiss lettering style that defined 20th century graphic design (think Paul Rand), Blue Note captured the refined sophistication of jazz during the early 60s, particularly during the hard bop era, and gave it a definitive visual identity through album covers.”
Over the course of his career, Miles created over 500 different album covers, many of which even the most casual of jazz fans would recognize as being iconic.