The gallery exhibition of Jazz Score celebrates the sophistication and innovation that postwar jazz has brought to the art of live-action and animated films. The improvisational nature of jazz suited the radical spirit of independent and New Wave filmmaking throughout the world, beginning in the late 1950s; even today, the music continues to have a dramatic impact on the visual design of film trailers and the graphics of film promotion.

The exhibition opens with a sampling of jazz-influenced merchandising that includes a display of Polish and American film posters, soundtrack album covers, movie trailers, and opening title sequences. Also featured is a projected video compilation of jazz-scored scenes spanning five decades of international cinema. The exhibition culminates with a large-scale installation of original animation art from John and Faith Hubleys Adventures of an * (music by Benny Carter, vibraphone solos by Lionel Hampton) and from John Canemakers Bridgehampton (1998; music by Fred Hersch). The animated works are shown in full, both in the gallery and as part of the film retrospective.

The gallery exhibition presents some of the finest original film posters (such as Saul Basss Anatomy of a Murder and The Man with the Golden Arm, a newly acquired Polish poster of Elevator to the Gallows by Roman Cieslewicz, and a series of Italian and Polish promotional posters for Blow-Up; album covers (such as Pete Kellys Blues, The Wild One, Sweet Smell of Success, The Cool World, In Cold Blood, and Faces), moving-image clips, and movie trailers.