TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
Jazz has always been about sound, but its look matters, too. Album covers have become an art form in their own right, reflecting the music’s energy, mystery, and style.
In the 1950s and ’60s, Blue Note Records set the standard with striking photography, bold typography, and a modernist flair that matched the innovation of artists like Horace Silver and Thelonious Monk.
Think of Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue—its cool, moody portrait perfectly mirrors the timeless sound inside.
Or John Coltrane’s Blue Train, where a single contemplative image speaks volumes.
Covers told stories, shaped identity, and gave fans a visual gateway into the music. Today, collectors treasure them as much as the vinyl itself.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and South Carolina Public Radio, made possible by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.