THE GIG

Festivals, Meet Your Sponsors

[Update: More from Ben Ratliff and NY1]

 The news is sure to spread in more polished form once we’re finished gawking at the Jackson memorial, but in the meantime here’s the gist of today’s announcement by George Wein: he has a sponsor not only for this year’s Newport festivals, but also for a series of events that includes New York in June 2010.

Up the Lazy River

I’ll be away from all things computer-related through the holiday weekend, but wanted to leave up something fitting. Here’s a celebrated set by Louis Armstrong and his All-Stars from July 7, 1958.

 

Pops wasn’t really born on the Fourth of July, but that’s what everyone thought back then, and it still seems fitting enough to be true. I love everything about this clip. The languor-turned-frenzy of the band. The sociological crowd-reaction cutaways. Jack Teagarden. And of course the mighty Armstrong, in frankly stupendous form. Set aside 10 minutes and watch the whole thing. Or, if you don’t own it, track down a copy of Jazz on a Summer’s Day. (Start here.)

More to come on the blog next week. Happy Fourth of July.