After wrapping my head around album artwork for yesterday’s post about the importance of album covers in today’s digital world, I’ve decided that there’s quite a bit more than meets the eye to this topic. Artwork contains messages about the music, the target culture, the artistic concept, the sales angle, and much more. There’s simply a lot of information imbedded in the album imagery and it effects the way that we perceive the music. From the days of vinyl to our current consumption of digital downloads, we’ve always consumed music and imagery as an intertwined package. Looking back at early album artwork shows a good deal of industry control, resulting in defined images that send a distinct sales message. As the modern age leans more towards artist control of the total package, we’re seeing artwork that more closely expresses the artist’s concept and the music’s aesthetics. The inherent possibilities between the visual arts and music hold a wealth of directions for the future; hopefully we’ll see an even more exciting expansion of this combination.

In the meantime, I’ve decided to investigate this world a bit further, and today I’m going to look at a specific bit of artwork. These album covers introduce us to the artist in some way by placing their face on the album in an interesting way. In most cases, the artwork uses a combination of photography and artwork, providing some compelling results. Since yesterday’s post dealt with artwork from 2009 releases, I’ve looked back into the past today, focusing upon albums from Latin Jazz masters. It’s the tip of the iceberg on a huge topic, but it’s a good place to start - enjoy!

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1. Night Beat, Tito Puente

Everyone generally agrees that Tito Puente was a master percussionist, although we generally associate his prowess with the timbales. On the cover of Night Beat, Puente stands ready to perform with a set of tympani mallets, surrounded by a collection of large colorful tom toms. At the time, labels sold Puente as a hot mambo band leader and the timbales were a key component of his appeal. Yet this was a different picture, mostly because Night Beat was a very different Puente recording. This album leaned more towards straight ahead swing and traditional big band styles than any other Puente recording of that era. While Puente’s expression and body language retain the intensity of other Puente recordings, the new look serves as a signal to listeners that they will hear something different.

2. Soul of Machito

This sixties Fania recording for Machito tried to find a place for the legendary figure among the label’s current crop of boogaloo kings. Between Motown, Fania, and Stax, soul music reigned supreme and this album cover tried to sell Machito for his soulful persona. The deep close-up on Machito’s furrowed brow and clenched fists expresses a feeling of intensity with a clear focus. The picture signals a change in direction for Machito - a fact that the album’s music didn’t match; still, it shows the power of artwork.

3. Cuban Jam Sessions In Miniature, Cachao Y Su Descarga

Sometimes artistic manipulation just simply isn’t necessary to capture an outstanding picture of an artist - sometimes the strength of their personality will simply carry them. At first sight, the album cover for Cachao’s Cuban Jam Sessions In Miniature is simply a picture of the musicians with their instruments. They leap off the album cover though and grab attention without gimmicks or alterations. What stands out among these musicians is the sheer joy that they all seem to carry in their personalities. There’s a bit of goofiness as Cachao holds his bass like a guitar and the horn players extend their instruments into the air, but it all seems sincere. Put on the recording and all thoughts of schtick disappear . . . but the joy that the musicians feel comes through the music clearly.

4. Bobo! Do That Thing/Guajira, Willie Bobo

Bobo’s first recording for the Tico label, the 1963 album Bobo! Do That Thing/Guajira found the musician sitting between the Latin and jazz worlds - a fact proclaimed strongly in the artwork. The perspective on this photo is amazing with a view of Bobo through the cymbals of a drum kit and timbales sitting in the far rear. On the surface, this is a natural placement of Bobo, since he plays both instruments; from this perspective, it clearly displays everything that he does musically. It really says so much more though - Bobo’s ability to retain the funky street feel of the groove while interacting with the finesse of a jazz musician was the core appeal of his playing. As he sits between the two instruments, he serves as the connection to those worlds - a strong statement indeed.

5. Mongo ‘70, Mongo Santamaria

The album title, artwork, and music stand hand in hand with this 1970 Mongo Santamaria release Mongo ‘70. At this point, Santamaria remained the long time king of funky Latin Jazz and his first release on the Atlantic label stated that reputation loud and clear. The placement of Santamaria against the Woodstock-era artwork proclaims that the album’s funky Latin Jazz resonates with the sound of the seventies. The artwork makes a bold statement that rings true throughout the recording’s funky tracks.

6. Hermeto, Hermeto Pascoal

This close of picture of Hermeto Pascoal reveals a lot about the man, the composer, and the musician, all in one shot. Pascoal lays against the backdrop covered in a wealth of diverse instruments, reflecting the fact that he was a musician willing to explore any avenue. The pose also signaled the fact that Pascoal is an amazing multi-instrumentalist that moves between a variety of sounds, sometimes in the course of one song. Pascoal’s funky dress and pronounced sunglasses frame him as an open minded free spirit willing to take his music anywhere. It’s a classic shot of Pascoal - one where a picture says a thousand words.

7. Irakere, Irakere

When Columbia signed Irakere and released this self-named release in 1979, they had an interesting advertising issue on their hands. The Cold War was still in full swing, yet they were promoting one of the most prominent musical acts from Cuba - a main proponent of Communism that sat right on the United States’ backdoor. The music certainly does speak for itself, but the heat of politics were strong at the time. I would guess that a bold showing of Cuban identity would not have sat well in the U.S. market. A artistically shaped painting that placed the band members in late seventies fashion was a different story though, and the result was a beautiful piece of artwork.

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Do you have another great example of album artwork that I’ve missed? Let us know! Leave a comment below and point it out - it’s a fascinating topic, so the more examples the better.

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Revisiting Latin Jazz Classics: Cuban Jam Sessions, Vol. 1, 2, & 3
Building A Latin Jazz CD Collection: Getting Started With Classics
Revisiting Latin Jazz Classics: Cross Section & Billy Taylor Trio Featuring Candido
Revisiting Latin Jazz Classics: At The Black Hawk, Mongo Santamaria

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