Eric Kohler
Chronicle Books, 1999
Paperback. 132pp. colour illustrations
£13.99

In the Groove is the first pictorial history of album cover art of the 1940s and 1950s, an era in which swing, big band, jazz, popular, classical and Latin styles all flourished. Tour the vintage landscape of 1940s' 78s and 1950s' LPs with the sensational album covers included here - more than 250 in all. Louis Armstrong, Desi Arnaz, County Basie, the Budapest String Quartet, Doris Day, Miles Davis, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra and Igor Stravinsky are just the beginning. Some albums are well-known classics, others are rare collectors' items and seldom-seen issues from Columbia, RCA Victor, Decca, Capitol, and other major labels. Many feature original illustrations of the time, as photographs had not yet become the medium of choice.

A groundbreaking survey, In the Groove features work by pioneering designer Alex Steinweiss and the talented designers and illustrators who followed, including Jim Flora, David Stone Martin, Rudolph deHarak, and Erik Nische. Author Eric Kohler interviewed many of the designers himself, gleaning details of creative life in the music and many commercial art scenes during and after World War II. Kohler also tells the story of the era's key record labels, and of the technological advances that revolutionized album jackets, such as the invention of the LP.

In today's world of compact discs and tapes, cover art no longer wields the impact of yesterday's amply sized album covers. In the Groove pays homage to the great covers created by legendary designers for the music giants of yesteryear. Here is a glimpse of a golden age when album cover art sounded its own chord in harmony with the music within.

ERIC KOHLER is a New York based graphic designer who has designed record covers for Columbia, MCA, Blue Note, and others. He is a specialist in the music and design of the 1930s and1940s.

TONY BENNETT writes the foreword. He is a music legend who studied originally to become a commercial artist.

"Eric Kohler has collected some memories that will remind us of some of the most moving moments of our lives. Open the book anywhere and the music, the time, even the clothes you were wearing, come back strongly. I loved book." - ROSEMARY CLOONEY

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FURTHER READING

other books about album cover design: For the Record a collection of Alex Steinweiss's cover designs

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