The best music doc of all time? This is really a mood piece which captures the stylish audience and vibe of Newport as much as the performances. Every frame is beautifully composed, and it all seems as fresh as if it happened yesterday.

The first festival film, presenting a small but immensely satisfying group of highlights, illustrating a time when jazz from transitioning from its bohemian margins to a more mainstream audience. Every performance is great and the cinematography is extraordinary. The beauty of this film is how it picks out audience members enrapt by the music, and the shots of the artists are gorgeous. A fantastic, highly enjoyable and visually captivating document of the music, its performers and its audience.

I was in the perfect mood for this on a late summer day and it was beautiful. The mix between shots of the performers and the audience is very appropriate and really helps give the film the feel of something more than a concert film. My only complaint is that it peaked a little early.