Jazz on a Summer's Day (1960)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Directors:

Aram Avakian
Bert Stern

Writers:

Albert D'Annibale (writer)
Arnold Perl (writer)

Release Date:

11 November 1960 (Finland)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Tagline:

Their Songs and Music Set the Musical Mood

Plot:

Set at the Newport jazz festival in 1958, this documentary mixes images of water and the town with performers and audience...

Plot Keywords:

Jazz | Concert Film

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Jimmy Giuffre	...	Himself
Thelonious Monk	...	Himself
Henry Grimes	...	Himself
Sonny Stitt	...	Himself
Sal Salvador	...	Himself
Anita O'Day	...	Herself
George Shearing	...	Himself
Dinah Washington	...	Herself
Gerry Mulligan	...	Himself
Big Maybelle	...	Herself
Chuck Berry	...	Himself
Chico Hamilton	...	Himself
Louis Armstrong	...	Himself
Jack Teagarden	...	Himself
Mahalia Jackson	...	Herself

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Galaxy Productions (I)

Trivia:

Features one of the rare film appearances of two of the greatest jazz artists of all times: New Orleans-born trumpeter Louis Armstrong and Texas-born trombonist Jack Teagarden. When Armstrong formed his six-piece All Stars in 1946 Jack, who was white, was asked to join. The obvious affection these two great performers felt for each other's singing, clowning and playing is particularly evident in their classic performance of "Old Rocking Chair." After Armstrong was invited to return his home town after many years away, he insisted Teagarden join him on the stage. The city refused to let a white man and a Negro play together. Armstrong vowed never to return to New Orleans and kept his word until the day he died.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer (2007)

Bad cutting on a summer's day

One thing is clear after watching this movie Burt Stern may be a good photographer but he's no director or Jazz aficionado. Sure the photography is excellent and there are some beautiful shots but as a documentary of a Jazz Festival it could have been a hell of a lot better. Each performer other than Louis Armstrong is given one or two numbers and then it's on to the next. In addition there are some abysmal cuts, best example being Chuck Berry, we hear him introduced, Sweet Little Sixteen start, and then some non-descript shots of people dancing in silhouettes, some crowd shots and finally Chuck - only what do we get ? The back of Chuck's head for nearly half the song and a cut during the famous duck walk!!. This is typical of the whole movie- shots of seagulls during a performance, too many shots of the audience instead of the performers, a cut away to the America's cup>,some rich kid drinking a coke at a farm house ? This thing is a mess and I'm a huge jazz fan so it's not the music that's the problem.