Being one of the most distinctly American art forms of the 20^th century, jazz had a style that surrounded its music scene – whether it was a manner of dressing, speech, a set of social norms or an aesthetic of the physical albums that were released. At the head of this broadening music trend was Blue Note Records.

The label, founded in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, gained prominence as bop become the general language used in the genre. But as distinctive as the sounds were, the appearance and design of the albums were as unique. By the mid ‘50s the label employed photographer and graphic designer Reid Miles, who also worked for Esquire. Miles’ might have been just a passing fan of the music, but his candid photography was plastered on a great many of the covers produced during the hey-day of the imprint.

Mostly black and white, Miles’ photographs were only occasionally accompanied by much more than a single color or two on album covers. The odd perspectives and simple design lent a singular look to Blue Note release, which could today be seen as ‘branding,’ to a certain extent.

To a lesser degree the influence of a young Pittsburgh native named Andy Warhol could be seen as just as important. Warhol’s plain, pen and ink renderings mirrored his commercial background, but again lent an air of singularity to each album that they graced.

Below isn’t a comprehensive list of interestingly conceived Blue Note covers, but just a few that stick out – to me. It’s a bit difficult to separate the outward appearance of these discs from my appreciation of the music, but take a gander.

Hank Mobley – Hank (1957)
Mobley wasn’t too much more than a bop player during the ‘50s, but the simplicity of design that this cover doffs is irrefutably unique. There’s a great deal more color here than on other discs, but that’s why it sticks out.

Lou Donaldson – Blues Walk (1958)
Credited as one of the first session leaders to include hand drums into his ensemble, the blues and bop purported by this disc is bolstered by the tinted photo of the saxophonist.

Big John Patton – Blue John (1963)
As creative as any other horn player, Big John Patton isn’t really thought of too much today. But this album cover is easily one of the most striking out of the spate of discs released by Blue Note during its ‘60s run at dominance. The cover’s a bit primitive and comes off looking like a stencil. Either way, a classic – musically and visually

US3 – Hand on the Torch (1993)
The Blue Note label went belly up towards the end of the ‘70s, but was revived during the following decade. And while US3 isn’t a jazz group, the deejays involved here sample nothing by tracks from the label’s vaults. Hand on the Torch also represents the imprints first platinum album in the states. Too bad they had to wait something like fifty years for that to happen.