ood Evening Ev’rybody is the documentary about Louis Armstrong’s last appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival. It is a joyous return of a jazz superstar taking his final bows. Shot in glorious 16mm. It has finally been released by producer George Wein who at the time recognized the occasion of Armstrong’s 70th birthday celebration in 1970 at Newport might be his last public appearance. Armstrong himself narrates, in at-ease interviews from his home in New York. No jazz pontificates, no retread archival film- just Louis rehearsing, reminiscing and performing. “If it weren’t for him, there wouldn’t be any of us,” a dazzled Dizzy Gillespie tells the audience. Wein lined up three generations of jazz artists and an a-list band of brass men, all paying tribute. Even though Armstrong was too ill to play the trumpet, he still was in glorious voice (his secret weapon) with “my favourite trumpet man” Bobby Hacket to essay his signature tunes. This is not Pops in autumn, it is a once in a lifetime gig of a jazz god and his disciples. This documentary may show an artist at the end of his career, but he is no less vibrant.
The rehearsal footage of Armstrong working out his sets, shows his deft musical mind and instincts. Strutting around with the Preservation Hall Band of “the old timers… they still have it.’ he says. So does Louis. A year before he had just appeared as a star attraction with Barbara Streisand in Hello Dolly and he was still America’s musical ambassador around the world. On the Newport stage, Armstrong’s performance is an alchemy of rote Louis and magical Louis. His vocal on “When It’s Sleepy Time Down South” is transporting even if the plantation era lyrics are scary. His camping on “Pennies from Heaven” is priceless. In fact, by that time Louis’ phlegm and gravel basso and singular phrasing, vintage New Orleans distilled, echoes all of jazz.But it is gospel diva Mahalia Jackson, taking over the stage, who is imbued during the spiritual “Walk Closer to Thee,” singing to Louis, her Zsa-Zsa wig coming apart over her brow as she tears the outdoor secular house down. Armstrong is himself undone by it and the film ends with only snippets of “Wonderful World.”
