The Stranger

Jazz on a Summer’s Day delivers primarily what the title says. A straightforward yet ultimately rose-tinted account of the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, this documentary intersperses footage of the concurrent America’s Cup yacht races with stellar performances by the time’s biggest jazz artists, plus cameos by rock (Chuck Berry), blues (Big Maybelle), and gospel (Mahalia Jackson ) acts. Interludes of partying Eisenhower-era, horn-rimmed hedonists round out the feel-good 85-minute film (originally released in 1960). Besides the excellent performances by Thelonious Monk Trio, Jimmy Giuffre 3, Gerry Mulligan Quartet, Chico Hamilton Quintet, and others, it’s interesting to see so many smart-looking black and white jazz fans harmoniously digging the scene. One of the concert’s incidental by-products was promoting racial unity. With no dialogue save the MC’s patter and a charming interview with Louis Armstrong, music and images carry the film. The camera pans in closely on the intense concentration of these world-class musicians and their appreciative audience—reminding you, wistfully, that uncompromising jazz once was extremely popular. By Dave Segal