[Dixielandjazz] "Louis Armstrong: Good Evening Ev'rybody" reviewed

[Robert Ringwald]

Louis Armstrong: Good Evening Ev'rybody (Image; unrated; January 26, 2010; list price
$24.98)
by Jamie S. Rich
DVD Talk, January 20, 2010

In 1970, Louis Armstrong went to the Newport Jazz Festival as a special guest to
perform his own set, but also to be honored by friends and admirers on the occasion
of his 70th birthday. "Louis Armstrong: Good Evening Ev'rybody" is a document of
that event, a collection of interviews, backstage rehearsal footage, and performances.
It's footage that had remained unreleased until now. The concert film is an amazing
discovery, a surprising time capsule that needed to be unearthed. This new DVD was
mastered in high-definition, struck from the original 16mm film elements, with a
restored soundtrack that is a true blessing to the audience, taking us as close to
possible to hearing what the music would have sounded like had we actually been there.
The first part of the concert is devoted to performances by Armstrong's band and
his regular collaborators, folks like Ray Nance, Jimmy Owens, Bobby Hackett, and
Wild Bill Davison. The tributes are loving and light-hearted, including a humorous
take on "I'm Confessin'" with Dizzy Gillespie doing a spot-on impression of the bandleader,
ending with the whole band chiming in for the big finish, each doing their own Louis.
It's humor born of respect, and the admiration is mutual. Between each song, Armstrong
explains to the camera who each of the players are, what makes them unique, and why
he rates them amongst the best. He also talks about some of his own history and the
philosophy behind his music. The man is self-effacing and humble. When he shares
a little about how he writes his songs, he concludes the explanation with, "That's
all. No big deal." You can tell that's exactly how he feels about himself, even if
everyone around him knows he's a legend.
Once Armstrong takes to the stage unannounced, the audience goes nuts. He slips comfortably
into "When It's Sleepy Time Down South," his signature tune, cued up as his entrance.
The singer is on point right from the first note, a consummate performer, his stage
presence as tremendous as his unique voice. He ends the song with a humorous vocal
joke, a smile, and his regular greeting, "Good evening ev'rybody." Armstrong follows
this with "Pennies from Heaven" and "Blueberry Hill."
The marvelous Mahalia Jackson is welcomed for a shift into gospel, yet another tradition
that Louis Armstrong was a part of. She sings "Let There Be Peace on Earth" with
minimal instrumentation, her powerful voice nearly burying what music is there. It's
interesting that in this segment, Armstrong talks about tradition, but also reveals
how open he still is to hearing new music. He mentions having just bought "Let It
Be" by the Beatles, and how the title track is just as much in the gospel convention
as it is anything else.
Jackson sings four songs in all, with Louis joining her to finish the last, "Just
a Closer Walk With Thee," giving the finish a New Orleans big band flourish, setting
the stage for the birthday boy to take over once more. This expanded band eases right
into "When the Saints Go Marching In," with Jackson this time backing up Armstrong.
Louis then finishes the set with one of his biggest hits: "Mack the Knife." "Mack"
is the jauntiest song about a murderer you're likely to find. Armstrong's rendition
makes the bad guy sound positively romantic! On the flipside is a song without a
hint of malevolence; quite the opposite. Though the concert is over, the film finishes
with rehearsal footage of "What a Wonderful World." This most famous of tunes has
lost none of its grandeur over the years. It is at once both easy and expansive,
the true definition of a feel-good hit. It's too bad that we never see the master
pick up his trumpet, but it's a small complaint when he's got such talented people
standing behind him. (Armstrong had been sick prior to the show, and that was why
he did not play; Bobby Hackett was his personal choice for a replacement and had
backed him up for years.)
"Louis Armstrong: Good Evening Ev'rybody" is as unassuming as its subject. It would
have been easy to slap some commentators in there and spend a lot of time talking
about how important the event was, but that would fly in the face of everything Louis
Armstrong is about. This is a glimpse at the man doing what he did best: providing
entertainment and creating a good time for everyone. He'd probably laugh if he read
how much I am shining the apple here, and never once question whether he deserves
the praise or not. He does, of course, and as far as apples go, "Louis Armstrong:
Good Evening Ev'rybody" couldn't be more tasty or nutritious.
The DVD
Video: As noted above, the 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer on the DVD for "Louis Armstrong:
Good Evening Ev'rybody" was made from original film elements, and the picture quality
is nothing short of miraculous. The color tones are rich and indicative of the film
stock from the period, and the resolution is great. There is some dirt and spotting
at times, but nothing we shouldn't expect from a vintage film such as this. For something
that had once been lost, finding it again has yielded impressive results.
Sound: The soundtrack is mixed in Dolby Digital, and despite being in mono, still
has incredible nuance. According to the liner notes, Richie Weigle and a company
called Trackwise undertook a tremendous clean-up effort with the source audio, and
it shows the kind of work guys who know what they are doing can pull off. For a good
example of the audio quality, listen to the end of Mahalia Jackson's last song, "Just
a Closer Walk With Thee," when she steps away from the microphone and we can still
hear her singing. Compare the subtlety there with the way the audience applause is
layered over the music, and you can hear how conscientious the audio team has been.
Extras: "Louis Armstrong: Good Evening Ev'rybody" is packaged in a regular-sized
DVD case made out of clear plastic. Liner notes by producer Alan Spevak are printed
on the inside front cover, and they explain a little about the history of this project.
This is expanded on in the special feature "The Story Behind the Film" (14 minutes,
18 seconds). George Wein, one of the directors of the movie, talks about being there,
about knowing Louis, what the goal of the concert was (it was essentially Armstrong's
last hurrah), and the road from there to here. There's a little extra footage shown,
and Wein talks about the interview pieces, which were shot after festival at the
performer's home in Queens. Two new featurettes are essentially deleted scenes. In
"When It's Sleepy Time Down South" (4:30), the singer tells us why it's always his
opening number and blesses us with an a cappella rendition of the tune. We also see
him rehearsing it with his band. "Preservation Hall" (8:10) has more interview footage,
with Armstrong talking about one of the great performance spaces in New Orleans and
all the great people that played there. This is followed by more footage from the
Preservation Hall Jazz Band, who also back Louis in the main film.
Final Thoughts: "Louis Armstrong: Good Evening Ev'rybody" is a marvelous treasure
on display to the world for the very first time. This documentary about Louis Armstrong's
appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1970, celebrating his birthday and performing
alongside his many friends, is both an excellent concert film and a great tribute
to music. Highly recommended.

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