MFT: Jackie McLean - It's Time! album Cover

This is a cover of an album titled "It's Time!" by alto sax player Jackie McLean. It is probably one of the most beautiful things i have ever seen. 

The album was released in 1964 by Blue Note Records. The album cover was designed by Reid Miles, one of the masterminds of supreme cool minimalist design schemes that were pitch-perfect representations of the music behind them. The man knew his craft well and he knew when breaking the conventions could be at its most effective. 

Miles's ultimate trick was to sucker punch the listener by twisting and turning his perception and expectations in a completely opposite directions - tearing them apart in the process, leaving listener stripped of his defences. 

In case of "It's Time!" it is done by throwing away acceptable cover imagery. There is a list of performers (and a little photo of the bandleader) in upper part. But the first thing you notice on this cover is large quantity of exclamation marks. The cover goes all guns blazing with them - it's a knockout wham-blam: neatly stacked, playfully aligned. The space is occupied by an army of exclamation marks to stress the urgency of the message. 

Overuse of exclamation marks is justified - it is very unusual and immediately attracts attention. It does this particular "zigzag wham" in the head - the composition sparks curiosity. It raises the question "What kind of thing can be behind such elaborate cover?" - (the answer is - savage, extremely intense gush of grooves and melodies that sparkles all around and takes no prisoners). 

Endless row of exclamations marks explodes. They blend together and leave their initial role behind turning into typographic wraiths that wreck the imagination. That is what an album is about. "It's Time!" is an ultimate showdown. Musicians are showing off the skills and trying to one up another over the course of several cuts. The cover of "It's Time!" serves as perfect announcement. Line after line of exclamation marks, hammers its message deeper and deeper. 

The composition manages to be crisp and clean and in the same time extremely dissonant - the rows of exclamation marks seem jangled, jumbled. They embark an elaborate edge play with an eye - the rows stop short from evoking optical illusions. These rows of exclamations marks are almost dancing can-can. The more you look - the more you can catch minors thrusts, swoops and juts in-between.

P.S.: "Cancellation" is probably one of the greatest jazz compositions ever...