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Miles Davis’ albums are known not just for their groundbreaking music, but also for their distinctive album covers. The visual artists behind these covers played a key role in shaping how listeners experienced his music. From photographers like Jay Maisel and Annie Leibovitz to painters like Mati Klarwein, each artist brought their own style to the albums, helping to create iconic imagery that still resonates today. In this post, we’ll look at 11 visual artists who contributed to Miles Davis’ album covers and the impact their work had on music and art. For each visual artist, we’ve also included a video reel for a deeper exploration of their work. |
Jay Maisel
Jay Maisel, born in 1931 in Brooklyn, New York, is known for his vibrant color photography and capturing everyday scenes. His work for Esquire magazine gained attention, and his photo of Miles Davis for the 1959 album “Kind of Blue” remains one of his most famous images. Maisel is recognized for his use of natural light and color, setting him apart in an era dominated by black-and-white photography. Further Reading: Official Site . Featureshoot . Shutterbug . Wikipedia. The works of Jay Maisel are featured on: Kind of Blue. |
Mati Klarwein
Mati Klarwein, born in 1932 in Hamburg, was a German painter known for his surreal, psychedelic album covers. His artwork for Miles Davis’s “Bitches Brew” (1970) and Santana’s “Abraxas” (1970) became iconic. Klarwein’s paintings, blending Eastern and Western influences, often depicted mystical and dreamlike imagery. He gained fame for his contributions to the countercultural art movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Further Reading: Official Site . Art Bin . O Magazine . Wikipedia. The works of Mati Klarwein are featured on: Bitches Brew and Live-Evil. |
Don Hunstein
Don Hunstein was an American photographer, born in 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. As a staff photographer for Columbia Records from 1956, he captured iconic images of Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, and Billie Holiday. His famous cover shot for Bob Dylan’s “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” remains one of his most well-known works. He also photographed key sessions with jazz greats like Miles Davis for “Kind of Blue.” Further Reading: Official Site . Wikipedia . It’s Nice That. The works of Don Hunstein are featured on: Miles Ahead, Kind of Blue, On the Corner, Round About Midnight, Miles Davis at Fillmore, Porgy and Bess, Live-Evil and Milestones. |
Jim Marshall
Jim Marshall, born in Chicago in 1936, was an American photographer best known for capturing iconic moments in rock and jazz history. His most famous photographs include Jimi Hendrix setting his guitar on fire at Monterey Pop and Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison” concert. Marshall’s ability to gain access to artists allowed him to create legendary images during the 1960s and 1970s. Further Reading: Official Site . Wikipedia . Hyperallergic . The Leica Camera Blog. The works of Jim Marshall are featured on: Miles Davis at Fillmore, Jack Johnson and Four & More: Recorded Live in Concert. |
Lee Friedlander
Lee Friedlander is an American photographer born in 1934 in Washington. Known for his exploration of the American social landscape, he gained prominence in the 1960s. His work was featured in the 1967 exhibition “New Documents” at MoMA. Friedlander’s series “The American Monument” and his street photography style, often incorporating reflections and complex compositions, established him as a leading figure in documentary photography. Further Reading: Fraenkel Gallery . MOMA . The New Yorker . PDNPulse. The works of Lee Friedlander are featured on: In a Silent Way. |
Francis Wolff
Francis Wolff, born in Berlin in 1907, was a German-American photographer and record executive. He documented jazz recording sessions for Blue Note Records in the 1950s and 1960s. His black-and-white photographs captured intimate, behind-the-scenes moments of musicians like John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, and Art Blakey. Wolff played a key role in shaping the visual identity of Blue Note Records. Further Reading: Wikipedia . Jazztimes . @ Pinterest. The works of Francis Wolff are featured on: Seven Steps to Heaven, In Europe, My Funny Valentine, Sorcerer, Miles in the Sky and Four & More: Recorded Live in Concert. |
Annie Leibovitz
Annie Leibovitz is an American portrait photographer born in 1949. She became the chief photographer for Rolling Stone magazine in 1973, where she captured iconic images of John Lennon, Mick Jagger, and Bruce Springsteen. Her 1980 portrait of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, taken hours before Lennon’s assassination, remains one of her most famous works. Leibovitz later worked for Vanity Fair, expanding her portfolio to include more stylized celebrity portraits. Further Reading: Wikipedia . @ Facebook . The Independent. The works of Annie Leibovitz are featured on: Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux. |
Anthony Barboza
Anthony Barboza, born in 1944 in Massachusetts, is an American photographer known for documenting African American culture. He gained recognition in the 1960s as part of the Kamoinge Workshop. His work, blending documentary photography and surrealist elements, has captured important figures like James Baldwin and Amiri Baraka. Barboza has contributed significantly to the portrayal of Black life in America through fine art photography. Further Reading: Wikipedia . Instagram . artnet. The works of Anthony Barboza are featured on: Youre Under Arrest. |
Irving Penn
Irving Penn, born in 1917 in New Jersey, was an American photographer famous for his fashion and portrait work. Penn’s minimalist style revolutionized fashion photography at Vogue in the 1940s. His portraits of figures like Pablo Picasso and his still life photography became iconic. Penn’s work, characterized by clean lines and stark composition, was exhibited at major museums like MoMA and the Met. Further Reading: The Irving Penn Foundation . The Art Story . Wikipedia. The works of Irving Penn are featured on: Tutu. |
Chuck Stewart
Chuck Stewart, born in 1927 in Texas, was an American photographer renowned for documenting jazz musicians. He worked with record labels like Impulse! and Verve, photographing legends such as John Coltrane and Miles Davis. His photograph of Coltrane for the album “A Love Supreme” is one of his most iconic works. Stewart’s images have been used for countless album covers and jazz publications. Further Reading: Wikipedia . Ohio University . Newsweek. The works of Chuck Stewart are featured on: Milestones, My Funny Valentine and In Person Friday & Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk. |
Roy de Carava
Roy DeCarava, born in Harlem in 1919, was an American photographer known for documenting African American life and jazz musicians. He became the first African American to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1952. His collaboration with Langston Hughes, “The Sweet Flypaper of Life” (1955), portrayed life in Harlem. DeCarava also photographed jazz greats like Duke Ellington and John Coltrane. Further Reading: MOMA . Wikipedia . The Guardian. The works of Roy de Carava are featured on: Porgy and Bess. |
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