If you enjoyed my mid-century jazz post a couple weeks ago, I’ve got another round of essentials for you to steam on, this time all chosen directly from Blue Note releases, and each accompanied with the corresponding beautiful Reid Miles-directed cover art. I am beginning to think that in order to understand mid-century design style and the underlying sentiment behind it, material like this should be like essential reading. Nothing creates a better backdrop to understanding where the color choices, shapes and alignment choices are coming from, where they adhere to the grid and where they reject it and why. All you need to do is observe, ponder, and reflect, the answers will make themselves apparent. Kind of a mantra for life.

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – Moanin’ – Moanin’

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Herbie Hancock – Cantaloupe Island – Empyrean Isles

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Freddie Hubbard – Arietis – Ready For Freddie

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Wayne Shorter – Mahjong – Juju

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Posted in Album Artwork and Music Posted by Alex on Oct 06 2010 12:00 pm

Tags: Art Blakey, Blue Note, Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Jazz, Jazz Messengers, Mid-Century, Reid Miles, Wayne Shorter