Miles Davis--Three Days in Malibu: Photographs by Ralph Quinke

Intimate photographs and interviews with Miles Davis are revived with new material to celebrate his centenary.

On May 26, 2026, Miles Davis (1926–91), an icon of jazz and one of the most influential musicians of the twentieth 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 centerpiece is a reportage that was photographed in 1989: together with Swiss journalist Marco Meier, Quinke traveled 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 archival 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.

Arne Reimer is a photographer, music journalist, and jazz expert.

Ralph Quinke is a photographer, author, and director of TV features, documentaries, and reports. He has worked for German media such as Spiegel TV, Stern, Die Zeit, Rolling Stone, and others.