Wail: The Visual Language of Prestige Records

By Mark Havens and Chris Entwisle

"WAIL: The Visual Language of Prestige Records, is a revelation. Prestige, born in the post war years in a grungy, urban and restless New York, provided and pioneered a radical platform for expression in the fifties, sixties and seventies and laid down the language and form that spawned an astounding period of creative innovation that lasted decades. Like Dada, born from necessity and a similar desire to invent anew by rejecting 'squareness' and comfort, Prestige provided a rare opportunity for artists and designers to break boundaries and innovate within this new 12" form of holistic expression, wherein the music and its visual interpretation combined to take the listener on a revolutionary new journey."-- Neville Brody, OBE RDI FRSA ― Creative Director, Brody Associates

"Having grown up with the Long Player format in my veins, this book takes me all the way back to why I believed in graphic design."-- Rick Griffith ― Designer, activist, and visual artist

WAIL is the first book devoted exclusively to the pioneering album cover designers of Prestige Records, home to such musical giants as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Sonny Rollins. Unprecedented in detail, WAIL documents a vital decade (1949-1960) of creative brilliance. An independent New York City label founded in 1949, Prestige chronicled the vibrant modern jazz scene of the 1950s. At Prestige, the alliance of postwar jazz and modern art found its deepest and most enduring expression. Inspired by some of the most significant music ever recorded, Prestige album covers provide a compelling panorama of midcentury graphic design.

WAIL introduces the graphic designers, photographers, and illustrators who established a visual language for modern jazz. The book is comprised of meticulously photographed album covers, artifacts, and ephemera, as well as profiles of each of the major Prestige figures. Exclusive firsthand interviews and estate materials provide cultural context and singular insight into the creative process. Unseen sketches, personal photographs, and outtakes from album cover shoots impart a vivid picture of art and jazz in mid-1950s New York. Above all, WAIL is a story of creative triumph. Drawn from a wealth of previously unpublished material, the book is an inspirational record of landmark graphic design.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 193912591X
• ISBN13: 9781939125910
• Release Date: November 2025
• Publisher: RIT Cary Graphic Arts Press
• Length: 360 Pages
• Weight: 5.07 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 9.8" x 11.8"