Group of nine consent forms for Jazz Note Cards, signed by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, and others.

Fascinating group of agreements granting image rights for a series of "Jazz Note Cards", made between Laini and Fundi Abernathy, key figures in the Black Arts Movement of 1960s Chicago, and several of the most high profile Black artists in modern jazz, including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Cannonball Adderley, and Art Blakey. Also signing as witnesses are Wayne Shorter (for Blakey), Wynton Kelly (for Miles and Philly Joe Jones), bassists John Ore (for Frankie Dunlop) and Leroy Jackson (for Roy Haynes). The core here is virtually the entire lineup of Miles's First Great Quintet: Coltrane, Adderley, Kelly, Jones. None of the agreements is dated but as a rule of thumb, Kelly joined Miles in late 58/early 59, Cannonball left in September 59 and Coltrane in the spring of 1960. John Ore and Frankie Dunlop were with Monk's quartet from 1960 to 1964. In addition, Down Beat advertised the cards in a 1963 issue of the magazine. The "pay scale" is informative: Art Blakey, Frankie Dunlop, Dizzy, and Roy Haynes were to receive $1.00 apiece; Philly Joe Jones $5.00, and Miles $10.00; amounts for other musicians are not stated, although Coltrane's includes a perhaps surprisingly gimlet-eyed addendum stating that he would receive a third of the net profit from his individual card and would be "entitled to inspect the books at any given moment". "Jazz Note Cards" - produced in a "greetings-card" format - were very striking, utilising Abernathy's granular and expressionistic monochrome portraits of the musicians, with stylishly simple typography on the back identifying the artist and giving Abernathy's photo credit. "After designing albums for Delmark, Sylvia and Billy Abernathy collaborated with Black Arts poet Amiri Baraka (born LeRoi Jones) in designing and illustrating In Our Terribleness [1970]. Africanizing their names to Laini and Fundi, they joined many other young African American artists who were radicalized by the dire economic conditions in black urban communities; in their design work they turned to styles that projected an assertive, autonomous racial identity. While Baraka's poetry addressed the psychic violence wrought by racist caricature on black consciousness, the Abernathys' black and white photography and graphic design documented a sense of fracture while championing the beauty of modern blackness" (University of Chicago online). Both also played a vital role in the construction of South Side Chicago's "Wall of Respect" that featured images of "Black Heroes". The collection comprises: Cannonball Adderley: signed in full by Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, not witnessed. Art Blakey: signed in full by Blakey, witnessed by Art Blakey Jr., and Wayne Shorter. John Coltrane: signed in full by Coltrane, witnessed solely by Howard E. ?; with a note in Billy Abernathy's hand, "The above signee is entitled to 1/3 of the net profit of his individual Note Card. He is also entitled to inspect the books at any given moment or time. Bill Abernathy". Miles Davis: signed in full by Miles, witnessed by Nathan ?Crymes, and Wynton Kelly (twice, the first, mistakenly, below Miles's signature). Frankie Dunlop: signed in full by Dunlop, witnessed by ?Bunkie Dunlop, and John Ore. Dizzy Gillespie: signed by Diz in full (and with his red silhouette wet stamp), witnessed by Monroe J. Horton and Sylvia Abernathy. Roy Haynes: signed in full by Haynes, witnessed by Harold Ward and Leroy Jackson (the latter presumably the bassist who had played on a number of Charlie Parker dates); Haynes has added his name and address on the verso ("194-24 Hollis Avenue, Hollis 12, N.Y."). Philly Joe Jones: signed in full by Jones, witnessed by John ?Doris and Wynton Kelly. Sonny Stitt: signed in full in red ink by Stitt, not witnessed. Provenance: by descent from the family of Billy (Fundi) Abernathy. 9 sheets (280 x 215 mm), carbon copy typescript on off-white wove paper, each headed "Release". A couple with minor rust marks, that for Miles with pale bro.…