“Breezing” (1960) by Sonny Red with Yusef Lateef, Blue Mitchell and Barry Harris on Jazzland records. This is a great jazz record and “Brother B” – the first track is one of my favorites.

Orin Keepnews produced. Cover designed by Ken Deardoff.

Jazzland was an offshoot of Riverside. I once bought a collection of 200 original Riverside jazz records in absolutely mint condition from a guy in Avon, Connecticut who said that he had worked at the label 30 years earlier. It was one of the best discoveries of my record hunting days.

(11 votes, average: 4.64 out of 5)

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Hard bop trombonist Al Grey session on Argo records. Recorded in 1963 at Van Gelder’s, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Cover photo by Jim Marshall. Cover Design by Don Bronstein. This record includes the killer cut “Something’s Got a Hold on Me.”

With David Burns on Trumpet; Hugh Lawson on Piano; Calvin Newborne, Guitar; Herman Wright on Bass; Otis Finch on Drums and Robert J. Hutcherson on Vibes.

(13 votes, average: 4.08 out of 5)

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In addition to the groovy, mod-sixties dance cover, this lp from Switzerland (1969) features a cool version of the Mohawks “The Champ” by The Pete Hilger Quintet.

(19 votes, average: 4.26 out of 5)

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The pinnacle of style and grace, Blue Note records set the bar for lp cover graphic design, photography, typography and quality.   The label also produced many of the greatest jazz recordings of the fifties and sixties and featured a roster of the music’s greatest composers and musicians.   Owners Francis Wolff and Alfred Lion together with producer and engineer Rudy Van Gelder and art director /graphic designer Reid Miles helped define jazz visually as well as musically during the music’s greatest period of innovation and achievement.   Wolff photographed every session and his pictures were most often used on the covers.

(43 votes, average: 4.70 out of 5)

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Soul Station Hank Mobley Blue Note Records

(31 votes, average: 4.58 out of 5)

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One of a cool series of radio promotional compilation lps issued by Mercury in 1958.   I have 3 or 4 and haven’t ever seen the other months.   Not sure if all 12 months were issued or if they did it any other years.   As a collector of cheesecake covers from this “golden age,” personally this (and the others) really hit a real sweet spot.

(22 votes, average: 4.59 out of 5)

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This has become a staple of weird and strange lp cover collections based on it’s appearance on many “worst of” lists, blogs and flickr photo sets.   Deservedly so, Mike is more than just another cross-dressing Brit, he looks great in this spangled, bedangled pant suit.   And this is Vol. 2!

(40 votes, average: 3.33 out of 5)

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