'JAZZ ON A SUMMER'S DAY

[Guest ariceffron]

WHAT IS THE CONSENSUS ON THIS VHS. i like it but its strange,--everyone in the audicence looks bored. like when monk is being introduced and that hot chick is rolling her eyes, and then he comes on w/ henry grimes and the max-attack and they do blue monk

[Harold_Z]

The audience visuals were filmed later and edited in.

In other words....the audience is an OVERDUB !

Edited June 28, 2004 by Harold_Z

[JSngry]

The travelling NewOrleans-style band is a surreal touch.

I like the movie a LOT.

Anita O'Day is hot, musically and visually.

[The Mule]

The audience visuals were filmed later and edited in.

In other words....the audience is an OVERDUB !

I've never heard this claim before now. What do you mean, exactly, by "filmed later?" While I'm willing to believe that some of the crowd shots used weren't filmed during the actual performance they've been cut into, they were obviously filmed while somebody was on stage playing at that festival.

I suspect you overstate the case. There may have been instances where there was only one camera covering the band--the Monk performance comes to mind, which was basically one shot of Monk at the piano--and Stern used cutaways to the crowd from a different performance, but that certainly does not appear to be the case throughout the entire movie.

[sheldonm]

The travelling NewOrleans-style band is a surreal touch.

I like the movie a LOT.

Anita O'Day is hot, musically and visually.

Jim,

I thought the same about Anita. At first I couldn't decide but after watching it a few time, I would agree, she's kinda sexy!

I really like the film a lot. Besides the music, it give you a visual look of this period in one town in America. Some board members were alive and maybe adults at this time (I was 1 year old). I just think the film is a lot better than I expected and would recommend it.

Mark

[sheldonm]

I don't think the scenes were filmed later as much as they may not have been filmed in sequence, if that makes sense. I do believe Bert Stern said he had several cameras going most of the time, so as to edit them later.

[Harold_Z]

Mule, Bill Crow's excellent book JAZZ ANECDOTES has a short, humorous piece on the filming of the audience segment. Bill was one of the audience members. As I remember it, they watched the footage and their reaction was filmed and edited into the fim.

[The Mule]

Mule, Bill Crow's excellent book JAZZ ANECDOTES has a short, humorous piece on the filming of the audience segment. Bill was one of the audience members. As I remember it, they watched the footage and their reaction was filmed and edited into the fim.

For EVERY performance? There are crowd shots during the day and at night. In the Anita O'Day sequence you can see the audience and O'Day in the same shot often.

[Harold_Z]

In the Anita O'Day sequence you can see the audience and O'Day in the same shot often.

I guess that's not one of them.

[DrJ]

I really like this film overall, there are some absolutely priceless performances like O'Day's justly celebrated one. The Chico Hamilton and Giuffre stuff is amazing, too, really cool and captures a certain vibe well. Louis always great to see, and Monk too, and Mulligan. Hell, there is some great music here.

That said I find the film too self-consciously arty, trying too hard with all the cuts away from the performers. There are some amazing musicians that we only hear, never see or see for only a fleeting moment. Not only frustrating personally to me, but it just seems inexcusable with this much hindsight, although I know it may have felt different then. I think the cuts to audience and the sailing etc should have been kept but reduced greatly, with more shots of the action, and the film would have been stronger.

[sheldonm]

Ramee,

Cool story about the festival! I actually have the DVD and love it.

Dr. J, I would have to agree on both Hamilton and Giuffre, both are excellent.;

I may be photographing this years festival if I can find (reasonable)accomodations. I've never been to Newport before and hope to make it, especially this being the 50th Anniversary!

[Harold_Z]

That said I find the film too self-consciously arty, trying too hard with all the cuts away from the performers. There are some amazing musicians that we only hear, never see or see for only a fleeting moment. Not only frustrating personally to me, but it just seems inexcusable with this much hindsight, although I know it may have felt different then. I think the cuts to audience and the sailing etc should have been kept but reduced greatly, with more shots of the action, and the film would have been stronger.

Sums up my feelings entirely.

[Christiern]

I, too, wish there had been greater focus on performance, but I think the concept was to capture the essence of the festival, the atmosphere. If that is the case, I think Bert Stern did well.

I also think one tends to apply different values to the film now than was the case a half century ago. The artists we see are people whom we no longer can catch in live performance, so we tend to see the sail boats, the ice cream eaters, dancers, and chauffeured old ladies as intrusive fluff rather than a part of the whole.

Edited June 29, 2004 by Christiern

[bertrand]

According to the notes in the Max Roach Mosaic booklet, the entire festival (or most of it) was filmed but most of it ended up on the cutting room floor. This includes the Max Roach quintet with Booker Little, and a Horace Silver quintet set.

Does anyone now who was with Horace at Newport in 1958? I would love to see the Roach and Silver sets. DVD anyone?

Bertrand.

[rockefeller center]

http://www.jazzdisco.org/silver/dis/c/#580706

[bertrand]

Didn't think of looking there - I sure use that site a lot.

I was hoping it was Wayne, because he did Newport with Horace, but it must have been 1956.

Bertrand.

[The Mule]

I, too, wish there had been a greater focus on performance, but I think the concept was to capture the essence of the festival, the atmosphere, If that is the case, I think Bert Stern did well.

I also think one tends to apply different values to the film now that was the case a half century ago. The artists we see are people whom we no longer can catch in live performance, so we tend to see the sail boats, the ice cream eaters, dancers, and chauffeured old ladies as intrusive fluff rather than a part of the whole.

Sums up my feelings entirely.

[Claude]

I also fully agree with Chris' opinion. It's an entertainment movie, and not a strict documentary (some parts are staged) or a concert film.

What we need today would be a DVD with the original movie as well as uncut musical performances as a bonus part.

[P.D.]

A point of interest.. Maybe

A lot of the music from this Newport Festival can be found on 4 cds from Phontastic ( sold separately)

MOSTLY MILES Has the Miles set plus 2 tracks from Lee Konitz and one by Horace Silver ( Louis Smith and Juniour Cook if that question wasn't resolved)

MULLIGAN IN THE MAIN Mulligan's Quartet set plus two tracks with Gerry and the Marion McPartland trio.

Two tracks from Chico Hamilton. The Sal Salvador / Stitt version of Cherokee and two tracks from Urbie Green ? Don Elliott wirh Dinah Washington

BLUES IN THE NIGHT VOL 1 has the Chuck Berry set with the Blues Band, which is in total as much a disaster as the bits in the movie. This is followed by Big Maybelle with the same band.. a bit more succesful than Chuck. Joe Turner and Pete Johnson with the Blues Band. And then 4 tracks from Jack Teagarden, with Hackett.

BLUES IN THE NIGHT VOL 2 gives us the Dinah Washington appearance plus that from the Ray Charles Sextet.

The complete appearance of Anita O'Day can be found on a CD from Moon called Anita O'Day Tea For Two

I'm sure there must be other bootlegs out there that have more music. I have a Don Elliot LP that gives up a little more of the Elliott / Gibbs / Green sets.

Edited June 29, 2004 by P.D.

[bertrand]

And the Max Roach set is in the Mosaic box!

I like Claude's idea - they reissue the film with a lot of extra footage. But I want the complete Max set, not just one or two tracks (as Blue Note did with the One Night DVD).

Bertrand.

Edited June 29, 2004 by bertrand

[brownie]

MOSTLY MILES Has the Miles set plus 2 tracks from Lee Konitz and one by Horace Silver ( Louis Smith and Juniour Cook if that question wasn't resolved)

Not aware that there were any doubts about the Horace Silver lineup at the Newport festival. Silver introduces his musicians (Smith, Cook, Taylor and Hayes) at the end of their interpretation of 'Tippin'.

By the way these Phontastic Newport albums are really fontastic!

[JSngry]

So the Phontastic has the full Miles set that mostly made it to MILES & MONK AT NEWPORT, right?

I bought that disc but had to return it due to an excruciating high-pitched squeal that seemed to run throughout the Miles set , albeit in the bavkground. Going back to the Columbia LP, I heard it there too, for the first time, although it had been greatly muted (and the high end of the music somewhat curtailed as a result).

Anybody else experience this? Anybody have a story about the tapes and the squeal? Anybody?

[jazzbo]

I had that cd and sold it when the Miles at Newport stuff appeared on US cd in better sound. . . don't remember the squeeling per se, but do remember the sound was not as good as later editions of the Miles set from Columbia/Sony (the two cd DSD remastering of the Miles/Monk has the complete material from both in great sound!

[P.D.]

No squeal on the CDs ..Phontastic or the Sony ( I only have the Miles / Coltrane box) as Lon states, the Sony has better sound, but I wouldn't say by miles.

Both have 7 tracks if you include Willis Conover's introduction and the Closing Theme as separate tracks, so I assume it's the whole concert set.

[brownie]

The sound on the Phontastic 'Mostly Miles' is just a bit harsh but very acceptable. The CBS/Sony was just a bit better but the Phontastic had those marvellous sides by the Lee Konitz trio (with Henry Grimes!) and that Horace Silver 'Tippin'. I kept it and am glad I did.