CULTURE
• Graphic design
• Motion design
• Print
2026
ART DIRECTION FOR A JAZZ ALBUM COVER
Spirit of 3
by CHRISTOPHE DAL SASSO and SHEKINAH RODZ
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Regarded as one of the most distinctive arrangers on the French music scene, Christophe Dal Sasso is a composer whose work spans jazz and the classical repertoire, from big bands to symphonic orchestrations. For Spirit of 3, it brings together eight musicians from the world music scene,
jazz and Latin American music, and presents a project that blends Mediterranean, African and Indian rhythms.
Joining him is Shekinah Rodz, an American-Puerto Rican singer and multi-instrumentalist trained in classical, jazz and gospel saxophone. After building her career in Puerto Rico and Atlanta and touring with Grammy winners, she settled in Europe to perform at jazz festivals across the continent.
source : Lalonde Jazz Festival
A starting point : listening
So, before creating anything, I listened to the album in its entirety. Christophe Dal Sasso’s brief was simple: to come up with something personal, born of emotion. As such, the artistic direction of the cover art is not illustrative; it is sensory.
The triangle as a guiding thread
The project Spirit of 3 carries strong symbolic meaning. I have therefore chosen the triangle as the central motif, representing the tension between stability and movement.
This approach is then applied across all media: three graphic designs, three typefaces and three colours, all carefully chosen to capture both the intimate nature of jazz and the energy of live performances.
A three-part typography
The first typeface, slender and elegant, evokes a sense of lightness and precision.
The second, which is rounder and more assertive, provides a sense of grounding and warmth.
Finally, the third is used for emphasis to highlight certain elements of the text.
Each typographical choice thus reflects one of the album’s musical worlds.
Variations : motion design and print
As well as providing the artistic direction for the jazz album cover, I also created the 3D animations for the album using motion design, as well as the print materials, digipack and poster.
All in all, Spirit of 3 perfectly illustrates what can be achieved through an album cover design that is inspired by the music itself, rather than by the market’s visual conventions.
Thanks to Christophe Dal Sasso, to Camille Dal’Zovo and Justine Blanc for their
trust throughout this project.