Film

Jazz on a Summer's Day

Name: Jazz on a Summer's Day
Genre: Documentary, Music
Released: 1960
Cast: Louis Armstrong, Mahalia Jackson, Gerry Mulligan, Dinah Washington, Chico Hamilton

Jazz on a Summer's Day is less a concert film than a mood board for a perfect afternoon: sailboats, sunburned faces, and some of the finest jazz and gospel ever caught on camera. Bert Stern's lens drifts as much as it films, lingering on crowds as often as soloists. Gorgeous, unhurried, and more about atmosphere than highlight reels — ideal for anyone who wants a summer they can rewatch.

TMDb rating

7.3

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The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

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Aretha Franklin recording her gospel album live in a small LA church in 1972 — the raw, unpolished cousin of the Mahalia Jackson moments here, and just as spine-tingling.

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St. Louis Blues1929

This is where the whole idea of a camera getting close to a performer and letting the song carry the scene actually starts — thirty years before Stern pointed his lens at Newport.

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People

Cast

Directing

Aram AvakianCo-Director
Arnold PerlContinuity
Bert SternDirector

Writing

Albert D'AnnibaleWriter
Arnold PerlWriter

Production

Harvey KahnAssociate Producer
Bert SternProducer