Miles Davis and John Coltrane: Complete Columbia Recordings 1955–61

Discipline: Package design
Format: Package, Album cover
Design firm: Sony Music
Art directors: Frank Harkins, Arnold Levine
Project manager: Michael Levine
Printer: Shorewood

Our intention with the design was to capture New York at night, specifically 52nd Street circa 1940—bop’s breeding grounds: the dimly lit, smoke-filled clubs that made up the nocturnal life of jazz. We did this by sticking with a monochromatic palette with duotones of black and red throughout. We were fortunate to use four-color black and reds on the inside of the booklet as well, enriching and deepening them. We decided on a metal box early on to differentiate this Miles boxset from those Columbia had previously released. It also gives literal weight to the package, signifying—in my mind, anyway—the importance of these two musical titans. The photography is my favorite part of the design. Columbia’s archives are replete with some of the most gorgeous and iconic jazz photographs you’ll find anywhere.