On 26 May 2026, Miles Davis (1926–91), an icon of jazz and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, would have celebrated his centenary. This book, published to mark the occasion, brings together photographs of Miles Davis taken by German photographer and documentary filmmaker Ralph Quinke between 1971 and 1989. The centrepiece is a reportage that was photographed in 1989: together with Swiss journalist Marco Meier, Quinke travelled to Malibu to accompany the artist for three days and interview him for an issue of Swiss art and culture magazine Du. He got surprisingly close with his camera, taking shots of Miles boxing, in his car, in the kitchen, while painting, sometimes posing, or as an observer of him in conversation.
Du’s issue 843 of August 1989, in which Quinke and Meier’s reportage featured, is long out of print and still sought-after by Miles fans. Inspired by German music journalist and jazz expert Arne Reimer, this photo book draws on Quinke’s unique archive material. A revised version of the 1989 interview and a new conversation between Quinke, Meier, and Reimer supplement this “director’s cut.”
A selection of the best images that Quinke took of Miles Davis between 1971 and 1987 rounds off this unique homage to one of the most eminent personalities of all musical genres.
Text in English and German.
