The Art of Jazz explores how the expressionism and spontaneity of
jazz spilled onto its album art, posters, and promotional photography,
and even inspired standalone works of fine art.
Everyone knows jazz is on the cutting edge of music, but how much do you
know about its influence in the visual arts? With album covers that took
inspiration from the avant-garde, jazz's primarily African American
musicians and their producers sought to challenge and inspire listeners
both musically and visually.
Arranged chronologically, each chapter covers a key period in jazz
history, from the earliest days of the twentieth century to today's
postmodern jazz. Chapters begin with substantive introductions and
present the evolution of jazz imagery in all its forms, mirroring the
shifting nature of the music itself. With two authoritative features per
chapter and over 300 images, The Art of Jazz is a significant
contribution to the literature of this intrepid art form.