[Dixielandjazz] Responses-- importance of the dust Jacket

[Norman Vickers]

To:  Musicians & Jazzfans list; DJML

From: Norman Vickers, Jazz Society of Pensacola

 

There were a number of responses to the “dust jacket” post.  Since it also
applies to art on the LP cover and the change those have taken with the
advent of the CD, I sent to both lists.  Here are some collated responses.

Thanks to those who responded.  I wondered if it would resonate with any— a
pleasant surprise was your several responses.

 

 

Howard Mandel, president of Jazz Journalists association.  See his regular
blog at ArtsJournal.com. Howard wrote:

 

fascinating, Norman! I expect someone is doing the same for cd jacket
inserts. 

 

I've always enjoyed dust jackets (and other illustrative matter in books --
front and back covers in paperbacks). Recently I got a copy of F. Scott
Fitzgerald's Tales of the Jazz Age with a beautiful cover that is very much
like "bespoke wrapping paper." It makes the book glow, even before you read
Fitzgerald's great first story in it, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."


 

Howard

Joan McGinnis of Mission Viejo, CA is a retired language teacher—speaks 19,
has taught 5.  She is a multi-instrumentalist—almost as many instruments as
languages mastered.  Note accent over the a in her first name.  ( At my
request, she instructed me how to do it, but I never mastered the art.)
She’s a recent, and delightful, newcomer to the Musicians & Jazzfans list.

 

Whether it's called "dust jacket" or "book jacket" or "dust wrapper" or even
"dust cover" there will be text and illustrations.  Often it's the
illustration on the cover that piques interest enough to actually thumb
through the book.  Biographical information about the author is usually on
the back panel  or on the flaps, a summary of the book ("blurb") and even
evaluations from authorities and/or celebrities.  In addition, it protects
the cover of the actual book.  Plus, some people collect them!  Joán

 

Ken Dryden, broadcaster/jazz journalist of Chattanooga, TN writes:

For years I didn't know that collectors keep and desire the OBI strips (with
Japanese text) on Japanese

CDs and LPs that are distributed in the U.S. Now that I've had occasion to
sell some of them, I know to

keep them all.

 

Fortunately I haven't tossed dustjackets from books since I was early
teenager.

 

I figured out they were worth keeping.

 

 

Ken

 

Joe Hagood of Selma, AL  is a radiologist and antiquarian book dealer.  He’s
on our  PensacolaMencken list, having spoken to our 

Pensacola Mencken group and published in the national Mencken quarterly,
Menckeniana. 

Joe writes: Thanks- This is very good info for us incurable collectors-
Appreciate your continued good work with the Mencken list- Have a great
summer- Joe H[ P.E- Will be at the Tennessee  Book Fair in July -will send
report on Mencken offerings there}

 
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