For decades, Blue Note Records has been producing masterpieces with jazz legends such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Art Blakey. A journey through the history of this iconic jazz label reveals the heart of a true music lover and the courage of an innovator. This special collection was inspired by Blue Note’s greatest records as selected by producer and current label president, Don Was.
Talking about music can make us want to put on a track to listen to. Will these T-shirts be your gateway to a new love of jazz?
In 1939, two German men, Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, established Blue Note Records in New York City. The jazz label is now a global institution, but in the early years the two had to be involved in every step of creating a record.
“To save an extra two cents when making the records, they would stuff the records into the sleeves themselves, and Francis took photos for the jacket covers,” says Dan Don Was, who has been president of the label since 2012. “They weren’t businessmen looking for a way to exploit the music business. They were huge fans of Black American music who just wanted to be around it and who found that the way to hang out with the musicians was to own the record company.”
A musician himself who has also produced new albums for John Mayer and the Rolling Stones, Was appears to have inherited the mindset of the two founders. “I love just being in the studio, seeing the gear and the microphones and the cables all over the floor,” he says.
Lion and Wolff wrote a manifesto stating the company’s purpose: the pursuit of authentic music and giving full artistic freedom to their artists. Was credits this policy for helping the label create music that stands the test of time and remains relevant over eighty years later.
“In every era of the company, they signed artists who were pushing the boundaries of music. Thelonious Monk sounds more conventional today, but what he was doing in 1948 was radical. They took a risk, and they bet on somebody who was going to change music. They did it again in the 1950s, when they put Art Blakey and Horace Silver together and created hard bop. You can take it to the present day with what pianist Robert Glasper recorded for Black Radio, one of the first records we made when I became president. That’s a wild record that brought a lot of young people into the music and employed hip-hop elements in a way that nobody had before.”
Even if they do not know whether it will sell, the company seeks out and records music that is ahead of its time. Blue Note’s innovative attitude is reflected not just in their sound but also in their album jackets, which are admired for their revolutionary design choices—unusual cropping of striking photographs and typography that evokes a sense of rhythm.
“Andy Warhol designed a couple of covers in the 1950s, but for the most part it was Reid Miles,” says Was. “If you look at TV or advertising today, you can see elements that he innovated everywhere. Miles approached art the same way Lion and Wolff approached music.”
Was describes jazz as a conversation, sort of like talking about one’s life experiences to a dinner companion.
“Take Robert Glasper. He’ll quote Thelonious Monk, J Dilla, McDonald’s commercials—it’s all in there! Great artists express what they see in poetic terms. When I was going through a rough time in college, I would put on Speak No Evil by Wayne Shorter, and it was as though Wayne’s saxophone solo was guiding me through life. I still listen to that album if I’m having a bad day. If we can bring people even three minutes of distraction, I think that’s a great service.”
The new UT collection invites you to strike up a visual and audio conversation with the artists of Blue Note Records.
©Mathieu Bitton
This collection features iconic Blue Note album covers that revolutionized graphic design. Was helped us select seven designs from the ’50s and ’60s that reflect Blue Note’s distinct look.
Genius of Modern Music vol.2
Thelonious Monk
This Thelonious Monk classic was mostly recorded in the 1940s. “The album was radical and impactful. It’s a genius design, and the red speaks to me as an old school leftie,” says Was.
Sonny Clark Trio
Sonny Clark
Was describes this hit Sonny Clark album as “great, grooving bebop.” Gradients of bright colors—an expensive design choice at the time—grace the cover, perfectly reflecting the music.
Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims
Jutta Hipp
“As a female instrumentalist, Hipp was decades ahead of her time,” says Was. “She led an interesting life, too. Buy the shirt to show you know music!” This album cover has never before appeared on a product.
The Prophetic Herbie Nichols Vol. 1
Herbie Nichols
Despite not attracting much attention on its 1955 release, this album is now seen as an important album from a genius ahead of his time. “It may not be well-known, but it’s a quality album,” says Was.
Somethin' Else
Cannonball Adderley
This down-tempo album includes the jazz standard “Autumn Leaves” and features Miles Davis. “It’s a record I listen to a lot,” says Was. “If I were to wear one of these shirts, it would be this one.”
Unit Structures
Cecil Taylor
Striking colors and graphics adorn this album by Cecil Taylor, who left behind a great musical and cultural legacy. “This album is still challenging musical boundaries,” says Was, “like Blue Note itself.”
Free For All
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
“This important album reflects Art Blakey’s involvement in the civil rights movement,” says Was. “His face reveals how he used the drums to vent his frustrations.” The typography looks great on this T-shirt.
PROFILE
Blue Note Records | This New York jazz label established in 1939 has always pushed the boundaries of jazz. It represents a wide variety of artists, from 87-year-old Wayne Shorter to young 20-somethings like Immanuel Wilkins.
Don Was | Born in 1952 in Detroit, Was is the bassist of Was (Not Was) and a Grammy winner for his production work. He first encountered Blue Note at the age of 14 when listening to Joe Henderson’s Mode for Joe in his mother’s car.
Unit Structures Cecil Taylor: ©1966 Capitol Records, LLC
Genius Of Modern Music Vol. 2 Thelonious Monk: ©1956 Capitol Records, LLC
Somethin’ Else Cannonball Adderley: ©1958 Capitol Records, LLC
Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims Jutta Hipp: ©1956 Capitol Records, LLC
Sonny Clark Trio Sonny Clark: ©1958 Capitol Records, LLC
Free For All
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers: ©1965 Capitol Records, LLC
The Prophetic Herbie Nichols Vol. 1 Herbie Nichols: ©1956 Capitol Records, LLC
