Laura Crema celebrates the enduring influence of Anita O’Day with a performance that captures the wit, swing, and rhythmic daring that made O’Day a standout in jazz history. Known for her cool tone and inventive phrasing, O’Day redefined what a jazz singer could do — treating her voice like an instrument. Crema leans into that same spirit, bringing fresh energy to classic repertoire while highlighting the playful timing and improvisational flair that O’Day made famous.
Laura Crema – voice
Sharon Minemoto – keyboard
Jon Bentley – sax
Wynston Minkler – bass
Nino DiPasquale – drums
About Jazz on a Summer’s Day (Bert Stern, 1959, 85 min)
Filmed at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island and directed by world-renowned photographer Bert Stern, Jazz on a Summer’s Day features intimate performances by an all-star line-up of musical legends including Louis Armstrong, , Anita O’Day, Thelonious Monk, Gerry Mulligan, Chuck Berry, Dinah Washington, and closes with a beautiful rendition of The Lord’s Prayer by Mahalia Jackson at midnight to usher in Sunday morning. The film has been beautifully and extensively restored in 4K.
Gorgeous. Probably the best feature-length jazz concert movie ever made.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Filmed with a rare artistry, a rare attention to making images of music that are themselves musical.
Richard Brody, New Yorker
Co-Presented with
Laura Crema
Aug 9
2:00 pm
VIFF Centre, VIFF Cinema
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Film Credits
Producer
Harvey Kahn, Bert Stern, George Wein
Screenwriter
Albert D’Annibale, Arnold Per
Cinematography
Courtney Hesfela, Raymond Phelan, Bert Stern
Editor
Aram Avakian
Original Music
Elliot Gruskin
Production Design
Allan Green
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