‘Jazz On A Summer’s Day’ is one of the greatest jazz movies ever made. Conceived by stills photographer Bert Stern (Vogue magazine, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn) and filmed over the four days of the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, the movie not only captured inspired performances by some of the biggest names in jazz at the time, but also the style and fashions of late Fifties America.
Interspersing footage of the crowds and the America’s Cup yacht races with
the artists live on stage and largely devoid of dialogue, Stern’s fluid form
perfectly echoes the jazz vibe tempering a flyon-the-wall documentary style with
surreal, dreamlike flourishes.
His photographer’s eye for composition and subject matter is much in evidence
in Stern’s series of unforgettable images of the performers which include
Thelonious Monk, Anita O'Day, Louis Armstrong, Dinah Washington, George
Shearing, Chuck Berry, Big Maybelle ,Gerry Mulligan and peerless gospel singer
Mahalia Jackson, the audience and the picturesque setting of Rhode Island that
4th July week-end. In 1999, the film was selected for preservation in the United
States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally,
historically, or aesthetically significant”.
Presented as a 2-disc brilliant jewel case set with a 16-page booklet. DVD extras include an interview with Bert Stern, an introduction to Jazz On A Summer's Day, artist biographies and photo gallery. This soundtrack CD was recently chosen as one of the all-time classic albums by Mojo magazine in its compendium, The Mojo Collection.