Sounds of Solidarity Pan Africanism, Internationalism, and the Black Experience at Blue Note Records
Keywords
blue note, jazz, Alfred Lion, Francis Wolff, album covers
Abstract
Blue Note Records is considered one of the most prolific and influential independent American jazz record labels of the mid- twentieth century. The label was founded in 1939 by German- Jewish immigrant Alfred Lion who had fled Nazi Germany. Lion’s longtime friend, Francis Wolff, would later also leave Germany to join Lion and help with photography and other business affairs.1 Originally recording traditional jazz and swing groups, Blue Note transitioned to modern jazz in 1947, eventually helping facilitate the development of hard bop, post- bop, and avant- garde jazz in the mid- twentieth century.2 Lion played a prominent role in Blue Note’s operations and how artists sounded in recording sessions. Wolff was involved in the visual aspect of the label as a photographer, collaborating with graphic designers like Reid Miles, combining graphics and photography to create some of the most iconic album covers in jazz
Recommended Citation
Neher, Nathan
(2024)
"Sounds of Solidarity Pan Africanism, Internationalism, and the Black Experience at Blue Note Records,"
The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing: Vol. 53:
Iss.
1, Article 7.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/thetean/vol53/iss1/7
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