Recorded in 1953, Vanguard Jazz Showcase released Vic Dickenson Septet, a four-volume set of records. Charles White provided an illustration that was used on the five covers that somewhat confusingly, covered the four different records. The drawing of an African American trombone player (the trombone being Dickenson’s instrument) was signed ‘Charles White ’55’. This was Volume 2 [AVRS 7006-X] and featured two rectangles of blue colour, horizontally to the top of the sleeve, and vertically to the left of the sleeve, similar to the composition of the sleeve for Volumes 1 and 3. This was exactly the same set of tracks on Volume 4. Colour coding differentiated each of the five records. There were references to White in the notes on the back of the record cover, as follows:

“The drawing on the cover is one of a series commissioned by Vanguard Recording Society, Inc., from the distinguished artist, Charles White. Mr. White won an Academy of Arts and Letters award in 1952, and, that same year, a National Prize of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. His work is represented in the Whitney Museum, Library of Congress, and other famous collections.”

A version of this text was reproduced on a number of the Vanguard sleeves that Charles White illustrated.