In 1958, American photographer Bert Stern was 29 years old. He has already acquired a small notoriety as an advertiser. He obtained, in particular, a great success during a promotional campaign for a famous vodka for which he created a remarkable visual. In the summer of 1958, he immortalized with rudimentary means the 5th edition of the Newport Jazz Festival. His film, Jazz on a summer’s day, will become a recognized and celebrated historical document. Christian McBride, current artistic director of the Newport Jazz Festival, enthused at our microphone in front of these exceptional newly restored images.
In 1958, the great figures of jazz were called Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, Dinah Washington, Anita O’Day and were all on the bill at the major musical events of the time. In Newport, a seaside town on the east coast of the United States, an annual rendezvous begins to arouse the interest of the public and critics. On the initiative of pianist and record producer, George Wein, the Newport Jazz Festival has been giving rhythm to the summers of the local population since 1954. The eclecticism of the program offered to spectators will establish this major event in the American cultural landscape. However, the agitation caused by the arrival of dozens of artists as diverse as Chuck Berry or Mahalia Jackson will upset the tranquility of a small bourgeois town unaccustomed to such effervescence. At the heart of the 1950s, American society was still very conservative and the place of black citizens in the development of the nation was still highly contested.
“I can in any case confirm to you that there were not many African-Americans in Newport at that time. I don’t think things have changed much since then. The black spectators who attended the Newport Jazz Festival concerts came from other cities in the United States such as New York or Boston. They weren’t from the state of Rhode Island. I therefore think that this film, shot in 1958, reflects the America of that time well. However, I would not speak of segregation for Newport, I would only say that it reflects a situation that prevailed in the past. Besides, Newport is still not a very cosmopolitan city. In other words, the Newport Jazz Festival was the only time where Americans of various origins met and still meet.. (Christian McBride on Joe Farmer’s microphone)
Beyond the sociological aspect, Bert Stern’s film reveals the audacity of George Wein who very quickly smelled the aspirations of the public and, in particular, of young spectators. This historical document presents, of course, a facet of American society in 1958 but above all allows us to see the performances of great personalities whose notoriety will continue to grow to become universal. Even today, the current artistic director of the festival raves about these rare images that revitalize an ancestral form of expression. “The first time I saw ‘Jazz on a summer’s day’, it was a very poor quality copy. But, a few years later, I was able to get a more palatable version, and there I felt like I was watching a whole different movie. Many artists impressed me in this documentary. Obviously Mahalia Jackson, obviously Thelonious Monk, but also Chuck Berry, Anita O’Day, Eric Dolphy and Buck Clayton. What diversity for 1958! It was George Wein, the first, who imposed this openness! (Christian McBride – February 2022)
Over the decades, the Newport Jazz Festival has welcomed more and more instrumentalists, propelling the city of Newport into the top tier of the most dynamic municipalities across the Atlantic. If Bert Stern’s film is only a snapshot of a bygone era, it narrates the genesis of a movement of musical celebration that continues to enliven the summer months in the United States. Since 1958, the fervor has not faded and Christian McBride is keen to preserve the fearlessness of his mentor, George Wein, by concocting an ever more surprising and enticing program each year. “It’s almost a must! Remember, George Wein’s method was to take risks. He was trying to introduce the public to new artists, new sounds, new forms of expression. It was all the same very daring to program Mahalia Jackson, Éric Dolphy and Thelonious Monk during the same festival. I make sure to perpetuate this open-mindedness. As soon as I took office in 2016, I wanted to diversify the musical genres. The first year, I programmed Joey de Francesco, Henry Threadgill and Take 6. They are very different artists. It is imperative to cover a broad spectrum of current musical trends. The final bouquet is always an event because it is a musician or an orchestra who has never played in Newport. We had The Roots in 2017. We had George Clinton and the P. Funk All Stars in 2018. The singer Andra Day, who is increasingly being talked about in the United States, was for example one of our guests for the 2021 edition. In short, I don’t know who will be the Chuck Berry of the 2022 edition, but I’ll find him eventually!” (Christian McBride on RFI)
⇒ Christian McBridealso a bassist, will be in concert on March 17, 2022 at the Seine Musicale on Seguin Island (Boulogne-Billancourt).
⇒ Jazz on a summer’s day, by Bert Stern is available on Blu-Ray and DVD from Carlotta Films.