Three Days in Malibu front cover.
In May 1989, German photographer Ralph Quinke and Swiss writer Marco Meier travelled to Miles’s Malibu home for an interview that later appeared in a special edition of the Swiss art and culture magazine Du, which was devoted to Miles. The book is subtitled ‘Photographs by Ralph Quinke’ and it’s a large format coffee table book (slightly smaller than A3), beautifully designed, and printed on high quality paper.
Three Days in Malibu – Miles with guitar and sports car.
The book contains almost 100 photographs, most of them taken by Quinke during the three hours they spent with Miles. The pictures give a fascinating glimpse into Miles’s personal life, and include both candid and posed shots. It’s clear that Miles was relaxed and happy to be photographed by Quinke, as he sits astride the back of his Ferrari sports car, plays guitar, and boxes with a punch bag in his backyard.
Three Days in Malibu – a relaxed Miles talks.
The book also contains a nice selection of photos Quinke took of Miles during his concert tours in Germany, between 1971 and 1987, both onstage and backstage. There’s also a revised version of original interview piece that appeared in Du (the issue is now a highly sought-after collector’s item), in English and German, as well as an interesting discussion between the men, who look back at the time of the interview, which again is in two languages.
Three Days in Malibu – dual-language interview with the authors.
My Verdict: A superb photo documentary which offers a captivating and close-up view of the personal side of Miles Davis. Get a copy while you can, because these books often become expensive collector’s items.
Three Days in Malibu – Miles outside against the ocean.
Availability: In print and available from Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Three Days in Malibu – Miles on stage in Germany.
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