Miles Davis in Paris: We Want Miles!
September 30th, 2009One of the distinct joys of our business is the opportunity to see amazing cultural and historical artifacts and objects close up. With no plexi case or velvet rope intervening. Sometimes, we get to hold history in our hands, as we did with the air rifle that was authenticated to the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Or the World War II D-Day planning map, personal property of General Omar Bradley, complete with his hand drawn renderings and notations. And the inventory of signed first editions by Jules Verne and H.G. Wells.
Most recently FINE ART SHIPPING was privileged to crate an exhibition of Miles Davis memorabilia for the Musee de la Musique/ Cite de la Musique in Paris. The show, entitled “We Want Miles!” opens Oct 16th, in case you are fortunate enough to be in the vicinity. Among the items we packed for the exhibition were stage costumes, sheet music, original paintings by Miles, and, most notably, three of his trumpets. Of these the “trumpet rouge” or red trumpet, was the instant show stopper. The photos shown here give just an idea of the beauty and craftsmanship of this instrument, which, beyond its value and history, is itself a work of art.
Although “red trumpet” arrived to us in its case, the lender generously allowed us to hold the instrument and manipulate the keys to feel the “action.” Wearing gloves, needless to say. For those of us who have played garden variety instruments and have some basis of comparison, we soon realized we had none, not to a custom instrument of this caliber. Crafted by Martin to Miles’ personal specifications, including the silky yet precise play of those keys, the “cool” was transporting. We Want Miles!
We’re hoping Miles would have dug the crate that we made for his trumpets; they were shipped in their original cases, each case slipped into a custom drop front foam core box within the crate. Hopefully, doing our little bit; honoring craft with craft. And, of course, we painted the crate RED!
Betsy Dorfman
Tags: air rifle, artifacts, Cite de la Musique, cultural, custom instrument, D-Day, foam core box, H.G. Wells, instrument, Jules Verne, Lewis & Clark, memorabilia, Miles Davis, Musee de la Musique, original paintings, plexi case, sheet music, signed first editions, stage costumes, trumpet rouge, trumpets, velvet rope