Miles Davis

The Classicist: The Year's Best Luxe Books

Followers of The Classicist, the weekly column devoted to timeless style, enduring elegance, and true, built-to-last luxury as opposed to mere extravagance, are familiar with the fact that we take pains to search out every season's most luxurious books and bring you exclusive glimpses. 2010 was a particularly good year for top-drawer tomes; if you've any space left in your library we suggest you stock up on the following titles which we declare to be the best of the best from those that made our grade in 2010. Featuring our favorite subjects ranging from Savile Row to classic Louis Vuitton luggage, high equestrian style to high society, and classic architecture to the perfection that is is Porsche, this is a chance to catch up on the must-have volumes you might have missed.

Topping the list are our two favorites, Louis Vuitton: 100 Legendary Trunks (Abrams) and Bespoke: The Men's Style of Savile Row (Rizzoli), both dealing with icons of luxe style, the first a legendary French luggage firm, the second a street synonymous with the world's best men's tailoring. Can you imagine anything better than a suite of Vuitton trunks full of Savile Row suits? Didn't think so. While you're busy assembling a collection these books are the next best thing. Men's style also comes into play in two other titles on our can't-miss list, the bible of Ivy League style Take Ivy (powerHouse) and We Want Miles: Miles Davis vs. Jazz (Skira Rizzoli). They're more closely related than you might think; the jazz legend had a not-so-hidden passion for preppy finery in his early years, while Take Ivy's title is a reference to jazz.

Gallery: The Best Luxe Books of 2010

Tags: Abrams, architecture, books, coffee table books, equestrian, Flammarion, jazz, Louis Vuitton, luggage, mens style, Miles Davis, Paris, Porsche, Rizzoli, Savile Row, Scotland, Take Ivy, teNeues, The Classicist

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Win The Complete Miles Davis Columbia Album Collection

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

For me, the music of Miles Davis always reminds me of my father. He was a jazz aficionado and particularly a fan of Miles Davis and his mixture of cool and fire and his incredible virtuoso skills on the trumpet. There will never be another Miles Davis and a new music collection spans the breadth of his impressive career. We have one copy of the Complete Miles Davis Columbia Album collection to give away. This collection contains 52 CD and double-CD albums including the previously unreleased full-length audio version of Isle Of Wight performance from 1970, a total of 70 CDs in all. The set adds a bonus DVD, Miles Davis Quintet: Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Tony Williams / Live In Europe '67 which showcases two separate European concert performances filmed in Stockholm and Karlsruhe, Germany, October and November 1967, respectively. The DVD is the only video of this Miles Davis Quintet lineup ever to be officially commercially released.

To enhance your Miles Davis education the set comes with a 250-page book that includes a 11,000-word biographical essay by Frédéric Goaty, the director of the French Jazz Magazine and the co-author of the 1995 book Miles Davis. The Complete Miles Davis Columbia Album collection is for sale on Amazon, priced at $328.49. Want your Miles? We're giving away the complete boxed set, a Miles Davis T-shirt and a Miles Davis USB stick to one lucky reader. To have a chance to win, leave a comment below.
Some other important details:

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before Feburary 26, 2010 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive the Complete Miles Davis Columbia Album collection, Miles Davis T-shirt and USB stick with a total value of $375.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

See complete contest rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

Tags: CD box set, CdBoxSet, jazz music, JazzMusic, luxist giveaway, LuxistGiveaway, Miles Davis, miles davis group, MilesDavis, MilesDavisGroup, music box set, MusicBoxSet

The Classicist: The Holy Grail of Lamborghinis

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, The Classicist

Between 1966 and 1972, Lamborghini built what has come to be known as the "Holy Grail" of its many famous sportscars: the legendary Miura. Named after a Spanish ranch famed for its ferocious bulls, the Miura's (pronounced me-you-rra) flamboyance and engineering astounded the public when it was unveiled at the Turin Motor Show in 1965. It quickly became the supercar of choice for the coolest of the cool and richest of the rich - members of royal families and two of the world's most famous and stylish musicians owned one, for starters.

Miles Davis is said to have driven his Miura around with a .357 Magnum stashed under the seat and enjoyed outrunning police cars while terrified passengers like Jimi Hendrix held on for dear life. He crashed the car in 1972, breaking both ankles in the process, and immediately ordered another. Frank Sinatra arrived at the Lamborghini factory outside carrying a roll of specially tanned wild boar skin with which he instructed the workmen to upholster the interior. He chose orange metallic paint for the exterior and matching shag carpet within.

So why are we talking about the Miura now? Because Joe Sackey, the world's leading authority on the vehicle, has just published the definitive volume on it - aptly titled The Lamborghini Miura Bible - after 20 years of diligent research. Sackey makes the case that the Miura is nothing short of "The Most Beautiful Sports Car of The Postwar Era." Having himself himself owned, maintained and restored five Miuras, he knows whereof he speaks. "The Miura is not a car without its flaws," Sackey notes. "But, what a benchmark post-war classic! A special car, it is to be enjoyed and indeed put on a pedestal. In terms of reliability and utility, it may not be the ultimate example of a sports car, but for sheer charisma and emotion the Miura is hard to beat."

Gallery: Lamborghini Miura

Tags: Frank Sinatra, FrankSinatra, Joe Sackey, JoeSackey, Lamborghini, Lamborghini Miura, LamborghiniMiura, Miles Davis, MilesDavis, Miura

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$4 Million Jaguar Headlines Goodwood Auto Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

An ultra-rare 1955 Jaguar D-Type (above), the first production example ever made, is being auctioned off by Bonhams during the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Sussex, England on July 11. The car, which carries an estimate of $4 - $5 million and has a colorful racing history, is one of the most coveted sportscars ever produced; a similar one was owned by Steve McQueen.

Also featured in the historic sale: a super-cool lime green 1970 Lamborghini Miura P400S Series II Berlinetta similar to those owned by Frank Sinatra and Miles Davis, est. $440,000 - $500,000; a rare 1968 Bizzarrini GT Strada 5300 coupé, exhibited at the first Louis Vuitton Concours D'elegance in 1990, est. $400,000 - $500,000; a 1962 Cooper-Climax Type 61 'Monaco', raced by several famous name and one of only three believed to be in existence, est. $300,000 - $360,000; a 1961 Aston Martin DB4 competition saloon, est. $200,000 - $240,000; and more.

Gallery: Bonhams Goodwood