jazz

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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Brooke Shields Celebrates New St. Regis Resort

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Events, Celebrity Shopping

Brooke Shields, pictured above with St. Regis Global Brand Leader Paul James, toasted the opening of the famed brand's 21st hotel, the St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort in Puerto Rico, at a cocktail party at the legendary St. Regis New York Wednesday night. The glamorous fête also celebrated the unveiling of the St. Regis Collection by Alexis Bittar, a collection of jewelry created exclusively for St. Regis in honor of the brand's latest luxe destination. Each piece in the St. Regis Collection pays homage to St. Regis' founding patroness Caroline Astor, mother of John Jacob Astor who opened The St. Regis New York in 1904, and her famed jewels which she displayed at New York's premier social events. For the celebration, hosted by stylish socialites Olivia Chantecaille and Ren Grady, Zani Gugelmann, Mary Alice Stephenson, and Lucy Sykes and Euan Rellie, the St. Regis New York's second floor was transformed into a warm, inviting salon where guests discovered the storied hotel's enchanting rooms.

With glowing candlelight and beautiful flower arrangements situated amongst rich wood tables, elegant sofas and leather club chairs gracing the rooms, the setting suggested an intimate home harkening back to the days of the private residences found in the iconic hotel during John Jacob Astor's time. Throughout the festive evening, guests enjoyed live music from Kat Edmonson as she crooned classic jazz numbers while accompanied by a five piece band, paying tribute to the St. Regis New York's jazz history; the hotel has played host to some of the finest jazz musicians since its opening over a century ago. Party-goers were also treated to a special menu of hors d'oeuvres created by celebrated chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Vongerichten is the Chef of Fern, the St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort's highly anticipated and recently opened signature restaurant.

Tags: Alexis Bittar, Bahia Beach, Brooke Shields, celebrity, events, jazz, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, John Jacob Astor, Kat Edmonson, luxury hotels, Olivia Chantecaille, party, Paul James, Puerto Rico, St. Regis, St. Regis Bahia Beach

The Classicist: The Summer of Style Icon & Jazz Great Miles Davis

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Books, Men's Style, The Classicist

Here at Luxist we write a lot about fashion and style, mainly in the form of luxury goods, but it's also interesting to look at the inspiration and influence behind what some people only see as pricey items in a luxe boutique. Some style influencers are well known and at times over-used; Steve McQueen and John F. Kennedy are two examples that spring to mind. Less well known but equally as influential among the tastemakers who decide what we buy as musicians – see Ralph Lauren's homage to Davis' take on Ivy League style here – is the late jazz great Miles Davis, who's finally getting his due with a new museum exhibition and accompanying book this summer.

Now through August 29, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is staging the first major North American multimedia retrospective dedicated to Miles. Entitled We Want Miles: Miles Davis vs. Jazz, the exhibition (designed and organized with help from the Cité de la Musique in Paris with the support of Davis' estate) combines image and sound to offer visitors a sensory experience inspired by Davis himself, who once said, "A painting is music you can see, and music is a painting you can hear." If you can't make it to the museum in person – or even if you can – Skira Rizzoli's book version (above) is well worth buying. The most comprehensive and lavishly illustrated volume on the jazz great to date, it chronicles Davis' life and his relationship to jazz and musicians surrounding him, on the heels of the 50th anniversary of his acclaimed album Kind of Blue and 40th anniversary of Bitches Brew.

Gallery: We Want Miles Davis

Tags: books, coffee table books, exhibit, fashion, jazz, luxury goods, Montreal, museum, music, Ralph Lauren, style

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A Taste of Jazz at the Time Warner Center

by Amy Cortese (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Events

Last June, a bunch of the nation's mayors got together and declared April 9, 2010 Jazz Day. April is already Jazz Appreciation Month (you knew that, right?), but the mayors designated a special day to encourage jazz related activities and programming.

Apparently, the folks at New York's Time Warner Center got the memo. On the first ever Jazz Day this Friday, the center's renowned chefs will come together to serve up a feast inspired by Bebop, swing and New Orleans jazz, and the cities that made them famous.

Called A Taste of Jazz, the evening will feature dishes from some of the hardest to get tables in town: Masa Takayama's (Masa) Jazzy Duck – marinated duck with foie gras inside of a mooshu skin, and Missy Robbins' (A Voce) Citrus Cured Sardines and Fennel, an homage to her hometown of Chicago. Michael Lomonaco (Porter House Steak) will cook up a NY strip steak and NY cheesecake, while Landmarc chef Marc Murphy explores his French roots with New Orleans-style shrimp gumbo. Thomas Keller's Bouchon bakery will contribute sourdough Parker House rolls filled with single origin chocolate custard.

That's just a taste of A Taste. There will also be slow smoked ribs with molasses bourbon BBQ sauce; 3 cheese mac & cheese, collard green quiche with lardon and micro kale, and more -- not to mention Bourbon-mint Iced Tea Bebops.

What about the jazz you ask? Leave that to the capable hands of Walter Blanding, saxophonist for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, who will be leading a septet in jazz standards.

Blanding will also discuss his selections and perhaps tell a jazz tale or two. He might, for example, tell the story behind "A Train," the famous composition by Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington, which was inspired by the directions given to Strayhorn for his first meeting with Ellington.

Here are the deets for all you cats:

Time Warner Center
10 Columbus Circle, 2nd floor
Friday, April 9
6:30 - 9:00 pm
Tickets are available for $85 at www.circleoftaste.com
Directions: Take a taxi to 59th Street, Columbus Circle. Or better yet, Take the A train.

Tags: a taste of jazz, bouchon, jazz, jazz day, jazz events, jazz month, lincoln center, Masa, Michael Lomonaco, music, new york city jazz, thomas keller, walter blanding

Parmigiani Kalpa XL and Grande Watches For The Montreaux Jazz Festival

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Each year there is a special music festival in Switzerland known as the Montreaux Jazz Festival. While the music is mostly jazz, it is brimming with contemporary artists in what is most always an impressive event - we just don't ever get to hear about it in the US. Watch company Parmigiani Fleurier is one of the sponsors and also creates limited edition timepieces for the festival - that this year took place in July. The festival has literally hundreds of artists that perform most of them being free to watch - while tickets are required for the bigger names. This year top performers where lucky to received one of these Parmigiani limited edition watches based on the Kalpa XL or Kalpa Grande watches. Notable recipients were such names as Alice Cooper, the Black Eyed Peas, Wyclef Jean, and B.B. King.

Two versions of the limited edition watch are available - for either men or women. The dial has been modeled after the event poster with the whimsical winding piano keys. In blue with a watching blue alligator strap is the men's model in the Kalpa XL, while a pink dialed model with a while python strap for the ladies comes in the Kalpa Grande watch case. Both versions come with a steel case and automatic Swiss movements. A nice collector's item for the musically inclined or jazz music enthusiast.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: festival, jazz, limited edition, LimitedEdition, montreaux, parmigiani, watch

Luxury Package To The Tobago Jazz Festival

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Events

One couple, one week, one luxurious trip. Red Diamond Events is offering an all Inclusive package deal to the Tobago Jazz Festival, April 25 to April 29. This year's festival includes Elton John, LL Cool J, Mary J Blige, Diana Ross, Al Green and many other performers. The package includes private jet travel from Miami to Barbados, a stay at the Crane in Barbados, flights over to Tobago for the festival and tickets for the three-day event, day cruises, spa services and all meals and drinks. The trip costs $22,950 per couple and 25 packages remain.

Source

Tags: festival, jazz, tobago, travel, trinidad, vacation