Had to pick 20 top cover designs, best listed first. There was a separate competition for total CD packaging, so the front cover had to carry the whole album concept.
See here for the finalists and winner, announced in May, 2001.

Can't read through my verbiage? Go below to MY list of favorites. (At least we agreed on the winner! Bill Evans: The Practice Tapes.)

How I chose my favorites. The first sort was easy. Could I tell just from the cover what kind of music it was? Any clue whatsoever, either with the title, the group name, or the image? Eliminated 27 right off the bat. Of these, only four gave enough information on the back to discern content. Some covers looked interesting, but the cover images were  misleading when I heard the music. Many others rated from acceptable to sort of okay. Most didn't have a strong enough image or type to communicate the album at full size, much less at the 1" square displayed most online stores. Many many were totally unreadable at full size, even using a magnifying glass. Some cover type was in trendy rock graffiti type or so totally meshed with the montages I couldn't make it out.

If I had to choose the award for "total packaging," I would have insisted that the track listing be on the CD itself. Only five of the top 20 bothered, and too many didn't even bother to print the album title nor musician on the CD face. This, it seems, is now a "tradition," which is why I'm happy to judge these sorts of things. This is NONSENSE!! The track listings (#, title and time) are important for airplay and to help prevent car crashes! (Think about it.)

Some day, I will post this page also in greyscale so you can see if the CDs survived the transition. You know how many people even THINK of this when they design a cover?

Also, apologies for the lack of designer credits on the bottom few CDs. I thought I had typed in the data before the CDs got away from me. Also, I have to find the #20 CD in my stacks, which would be Steeleye Span's Bedlam Born.

Carol Wright

	Bill Evans: Practice Tape No. 1 This was my immediate favorite! And the favorite of the other judges, for it's the AFIM WINNER TOO! Any fan of the late pianist Bill Evans would drool over owning this CD. The scuffed tape box promises a lost treasure, a "practice tape" by a jazz giant. The back cover emulates a handtyped label, and the aged cardboard box theme continues on the inside. The music is caught on a 1/4" tape recorded at only 3.75" ips. Not high-fi, but who cares! An intimate hour with one of the greatest jazz pianists, ever. This "retro" look is totally LEGIBLE!  Designer: Edoardo Chavarin. Art direction: Evan Evans (Bill's son).  Label: E3 Records.
	Kay Starr The Best of Standard Transcriptions This won my #2 spot. Even if you aren't a fan of the late-forties pop jazz singer, you know what you'll be be getting. Look at that sultry, mischievious smirk. Is that raised eyebrow somethin'? The 2-CD set offers 50 tunes from her syndicated radio program. Her first name and the small record label are not legible at this size, but you won't be disppointed opening this CD package. The photo on the back is a scream!  Designer: Unknown. Photo from the Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies and The Wayne Knight Collection. Label: Soundies.
	James Asher & Madeleine Doherty  Colors of Trance This is my third pick. This is one of the few chosen with a montage. (Sorry PhotoShop addicts. Most of you don't know when to stop!). Here, the type is very clear, with enough rough style to be "hip." Montage images communicate a world dance style. The only element missing is that Doherty plays harp. Design matches other albums by Asher.  Creative Director: Bhikkhu. Art Director: Waduda Paradiso. Design: Shivananda. Label: New Earth.
	Lonnie Johnson The Unsung Blues Legend The Living Room Session Think you'll get some rare tracks here? No doubt about it. The liner notes offer interesting photos and written history, while the CD offers the blues singer/guitarist in an 1965 intimate session recorded in the living room of friend Bernie Strassberg. Johnson is a strong and passionate singer.  Art Direction and Design: Edgard Moscatelli of T Design, NYC. Cover Concept Edgard Moscatelli and Fernando Natalici. Label: Blues Magnet.
	PUCHO and his Latin Soul Brothers  How'm I Doin'? This cover is just adorable! He is absolutely saying, "So, how'm I doin'. Waddya think?" Perfect framing of the photograph helps define his hands and head against the background. And a cheery red Rolls? But of course? Type's big enough to read at top, with plenty of contrast, but the guest artist type could be larger, and NOT red. A plus: Cannonball Records put a small steel ball in the clear spine, where their name is printed. Photoraphy by Robert Bean. Label: Cannonball Records.
	Michael Stearns & Ron Sunsinger Sorcerer The very clear title and the surrealistic images give distinct hints about the album's shamanic intent. If you know either of the artists (names could be larger), you'll know that they write spacemusic. Here, you'll ride a harrowing muscal journey on the lightning bolt of shamanic power. Believe me, it's as intense as it looks! The crowman is throwing a shadow in front of  him, yet the light comes from the front. The liner notes were totally illegible, but I didn't get to vote on the inside. Illustration and Graphic Design: Greg Humt. Label: Spotted Peccary.
	Wallace Roney: No Room for Argument So many things are communicated in this cover. Great photograph. Ever notice that most jazz players are snazzy dressers? The whole image says "sharp" (see grooming credit below), yet the brick wall says "no room for argument," as the title suggests. The trumpet is clearly shown. You open the classy liner notes to a full-width headline: "No Room for Argument is about heritage, mentors, wisdom, responsibility, and spirituality. It represents inclusion -- not exclusion. It's time to share." Design: Albert Treskin. Photography: Melanie Dunea. Grooming: Suzette Rodriguez. Styling: Jennifer Crawford. Label: Stretch Records.
	Various Artists Planet Rave, Vol. 1 This Triloka compilation album is one of the clearest I've seen all year. The designers avoided the impluse to montage layers and layers of cultural images, electing instead to use a dancing Genesh (with motion blur) set against a starck techo background. Typography is also very clear, with just enough use of shadows to make the type stand out rather than mush together.  Designer/illustrator: Unknown. Label: Triloka Records.
	Craig Chambers: West by Southwest Okay, work this photo shoot (or a PhotoSHOP) into your design budget! Every element in this shot is perfect. (Hmmm... no dust from the photographer's truck? My guess it has some photo retouching to make it work.) Anyway, it's a great spoof on the Hitchcock film, and the guitar style and hat give clues you'll hear some cowboy swing. Yep! His band is called The Timewarp Cowboys! This would win my prize for best overall packaging. Tracks are listed on the CD. Cover photo: Steve Turner. Design: Steve Turner and Craig Chambers. Graphics/layout: Steve Turner, Saguaro Productions. Label WR Records.
	Benny Golson Funky Quintet That's Funky Tenor sax player worked with all the great jazz funk bands. Sax players photography well. Bending in to the sounds, squeezing out every drop of emotion. Nice shot with lots of juice...and note the electric light pattern near the bell. Type reads fine in spite of the lime green, but this color adds an acidic electricity to the otherwise orange palette. Slick clothes, too. Classy. Name of group points right to his mouth. Nat Adderley, Monty Alexander, and others clearly listed. Cover photo: Gene Martin. Design: Gregory Downer. Label: Arkadia Jazz.
	Terry Robb and His All-Star Blues Orchestra Heart Made of Steel The cover promises big band blues, and something else...a good dose of humor. Like this "white boy" can sing the blues? Robb's vocal delivery is just about what you'd expect, from his picture...a little bit too clean. But it's a fun album. What you see is what you get! Inside liner notes are not legible at all. Photography by Valarie Davis. Graphics by Zap Graphics. Label: Burnside Records.
	Steve Lacy: Snips Two colors? No. Three (see the red?). Really, it's four colors, printed entirely on a cardboard sleeve package holding two CDs. Suitable for a recording of a 1976 NY loft concert by solo sax player Steve Lacy. The high contrast photo fits the style of the time and the casual atmosphere of those historic concerts. It's easy to read and intriguing. The actual photos inside are b/w produced as blue duotones. Got my attention! (This is the only other one of my last-cut list to make the final nominations.) Cover concept and design: Edgard Moscatelli [T Design,NYC]  Label: Jazz Magnet Records
	Trent Summar  & The New Row Mob It's easy to read the title of this self-titled album, but the photo helps make this cover a top choice. "Last Chance Liquor" sign, the junky pickup, and one guilty-looking dude ready to bail out fast. Hard-hitting cowboy rock & roll with an attitude, you can bet on it. Inside band photos continue the theme. Trent is the vocalist of the group and really wails into the mic. Cover Photo: David McClister.  Art Direction/Design: Bina R. Binkley / Altar Ego Design.  Label: VFR Records.
	Wayne Wallace Three in One Jazz album? See the African shirt and the shekere beads over the bell of the front trombone? They keyboards in the middle bell? Jazz plus Afro-Caribbean and funk. Three in One. Lots of brass and percussion. Big ensemble. A spirited album. Perfect shading on the title and the list of names. Slight halo glow around Wayne's body and the horns. And what's the matter with a smile? Won me over! Photography: David Belove. Graphics: Melissa Roberts. Label: Spirit Nectar.
	Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited Chimurenga Explosion What a "politically incorrect" image! It's almost a parody. The white explorer, the natives men won over with the uniforms, the bare breasted women. It's titled the "Capture of Nehanda, 1897." Thomas Mapfumo is a famous musician and freedom fighter in Zimbabwe, the "Chimurenga" is the spirit of the revolution. Lots of massed mbiras, brass, call-and-response vocals, sweet guitar work.  Cover Design: Adam Ford. Label: aNOnym reCOrds
	David Murray Octet Octet Plays Trane This cover captures the live flavor of the recording session. Imagine, musicians playing together, at the same time in the same room. These days, that gets my attention. But even at this size, the type disappears. Cover Design: To come
	X-Tribe Drum Circle This album of world drumming pushes the limits of complexity, just barely staying legible. The image of the African drummer stands out just enough, the title DRUM CIRCLE is just bold and big enough to stand out. The background texture gives a cosmic feel. This dizzying pastiche is not MY slant on design, but the cover should appeal to those who like "hot" world-beat music and relate to the mixture of patterns in ethnic fabric.  Cover Art and Package: Rom Rome.  Label: Etherean Music.
	John Parrott & Don Stiernberg The Swing Sessions This gives a flavor of "hip" (before hop), capturing the late '50s cool. You know what to expect from this cover.  Cover Design: To Come.
	James Hardway A Postive Sweat Not exactly a jazz club, but you can probably expect to hear some hot music.  Cover Design: To Come.
	Ronnie Earl Healing Time I didn't know Ronnie Earl's music and was shocked to hear Blues music when I played it. I would have thought Mexican from the style and from the type of Spanish guitar in the artwork. I wonder if this was "found" art or was created specially for the CD. The type could have been worked in later. Anyway, it's an incredible painting, though not connected to the music. Cover Design: To Come.