Published by the Rochester Institute of Technology’s RIT Press, WAIL: The Visual Language of Prestige Records is the first comprehensive study devoted exclusively to the pioneering designers who defined the label’s aesthetic. Authors Chris Entwisle and Mark Havens document a critical decade from 1949 to 1960, a period when independent New York City labels like Prestige were at the heart of the modern jazz revolution. By examining the alliance between postwar jazz and modern art, the book provides a compelling panorama of midcentury graphic design built around the works of musical giants like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Sonny Rollins. The 360-page hardcover volume introduces the photographers, illustrators, and graphic artists who established a visual language every bit as innovative as the bebop and hard bop music it accompanied.
Drawing from a wealth of previously unpublished material, WAIL features meticulously photographed album covers alongside singular insights into the creative process. The collection includes exclusive firsthand interviews, estate artifacts, unseen sketches, and personal photographs that provide deep cultural context for the mid-1950s New York art scene. By showcasing rare outtakes from legendary album cover shoots, Entwisle and Havens offer an inspirational record of landmark graphic design that transformed the way audiences experienced jazz. This definitive history stands as both a scholarly resource and a visual celebration of a creative triumph that continues to influence contemporary branding and artistic expression.