All That Jazz: Us3 Leader Picks 10 Album Covers to Enhance Your Summer Playlists

Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner and more

Most of these are from the late ’50s and ’60s. No surprise, as that was an incredibly fertile time for creativity in music, especially jazz. And the audio highlights were often embellished by fantastic, groundbreaking graphic design.

Lee Morgan

The Rumproller (Blue Note) 1966

Brilliant stuff from Reid Miles, who created some of the most iconic sleeves for Blue Note. Obviously, the eye is drawn to the distorted title. How did he do that in 1966? But I also like the way the sidemen are credited and the small pic of Lee and his trumpet.

Claude Williamson

Claude Williamson (Bethlehem) 1956

Lovely minimalist sleeve for pianist Claude’s third album with his trio. The one has an unsettling film-noir vibe.

Eric Dolphy/Booker Ervin/Mal Waldron Sextet

The Quest (Prestige) 1969

This is a reissue of an album from Prestige in 1962, when it was credited to Mal Waldron, with Eric Dolphin and Booker Ervin listed as sidemen. By 1969, Dolphy had become a star and the label tried to cash in by releasing this as a Dolphy LP with a crazily psychedelic sleeve. The music doesn’t really match the visuals, which were very of their time.

McCoy Tyner

The Real McCoy (Blue Note) 1967

My favorite McCoy Tyner album—deep music and a fantastically understated image by Reid Miles again. It reflects the serious vibe. You can tell this is a heavy album just by looking at the cover.

Duke Ellington

Anatomy Of A Murder (Columbia) 1959

Fantastic soundtrack for a great film. The sleeve, the title sequence of the movie, the flick itself and the music perfectly compliment each other. Groundbreaking in many ways.

Miles Davis

Jazz Track (Columbia) 1959

A bit of a hodgepodge musically, as it contains much of the music Miles did for the French movie Ascenseur Pour L’Echafaud (Elevator to the Gallows), with another three tracks thrown in. But I love the sleeve! It looks like a painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat, although it was released before he was born. Prophetic!

Joe Henderson 

In ‘n Out (Blue Note) 1965

Another classic ’60s Blue Note album, with a superb sleeve from the imperious Reid Miles. It wasn’t just the music that made these albums great. It was the quality of the recordings and the endlessly inventive designs. It’s all about quality control.

John Coltrane

Olé (Atlantic) 1961

Coltrane’s final album for Atlantic and definitely influenced by Miles Davis’ Sketches Of Spain. The music flirts with a Spanish ambiance. And the sleeve by John Jagel and Bob Slutzky was a nod to Reid Miles’ work over at Blue Note.

Us3

stop. think. run (Us3) 2009

Probably my favorite sleeve of all the Us3 albums, by my longterm collaborator Lance Olive. Musically I think this album has the biggest hip-hop influence in my catalog. And that’s reflected in the urgency of the design.

Us3

Soundtrack (Us3) 2025

Another great piece by Lance Olive, and a 21st century nod in the direction of The Rumproller (see above).