One cover that many would perhaps overlook as Martin’s work is and Porgy And Bess (1957). Some like the series are instantly recognizable as Martin’s work, while some of his covers for Billie Holiday are less obviously his style.

It has been estimated that there are around 400 Clef, Norgran and Verve albums bearing his signature. When Granz gave him the job of looking after all the art needs of Clef Records in 1948.īesides working freelance, Martin also found time to teach and when the sheer volume of his cover art alone is considered, his prodigious output is apparent. It was through Stone Martin’s working association with Asch Records that he met Granz, and they developed both a friendship and a close working relationship. When Norman Granz started his Jazz imprint at Mercury Records it was to David stone Martin that he turned for many of the designs that graced Clef, Norgran and later Verve’s records. This is for no other reason other than jazz was the hippest, coolest, and most progressive kind of music around attracting many young designers to the music, who in turn lent their undoubted talents to the genre. What is true is that the record labels that were releasing jazz in the 1940s in 78 albums and then on 10” long playing records were at the forefront of LP design.

But this would be a gross simplification as well as inaccurate. Posed with the question, “Who invented jazz album cover design?” Most people will instantly say, Blue Note Records, and Reid Miles in particular.

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