Jazz on a Summer's Day

A familiar past.

Just as the sounds you hear are the familiar sounds of jazz at its most classic (that are in no way outdated), so too are the familiar images of Newport at its most classic: the waterfront skyline, with its steeples and colonial houses, vintage vehicles on parade, and seagoing yachts racing on sunlit waters.

Some things have changed, we no longer get here by ferry, and we no longer dress for a jazz festival as if attending Ascot---but the spirit has remained remakably intact.

Revisit the early days of the Newport Jazz Festival, Jazz On A Summer's Day.

Sit back, marinate some ice cubes and let Louis Armstrong surround you with Up The Lazy River or take Tea for Two with Anita O'Day and enjoy the day.

Sensational America's Cup sailing footage accompanied by Thelonius Monk.

Jazz on a Summer's Day (1960) is a remarkable documentary set at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island, and filmed and directed by noted commercial and fashion photographer Bert Stern.

It's so relaxing, so cool, so Newport.

Planning Ahead

It is such a great time to buy a home – low interest rates, plenty of inventory, time to get settled in before the kids start school, just to name a few reasons. I have been working with a lot of buyers lately and had a few thoughts about the process. Having been through this many times with wonderful buyers and their families, I thought I would write down a few of my thoughts on the subject that will make things a little easier on you, the buyer.



First – Select your location. This can be very general or very specific. I suggest that you don’t start looking at the insides of houses until you decide what locale you prefer. It could be a town, or specific part of town, or maybe you like 2 or 3 towns. But try to narrow it down or you will get tired and frustrated doing something that should be enjoyable and fun. Take a few rides with your family and get to know the different towns and villages first. It will pay off in the long run. There is no sense finding the ideal home in a part of town you just can’t abide. You can change a house with remodeling, but you cannot change the location. Do you like the sea, the woods, are you concerned about the school system, do you like to walk to shops and neighbors or do you like deep solitude?



Second – Decide what kind of house you like. This does not have to be a specific style, but more importantly, it is about how you and your family live in the space. How many public rooms do you need to be comfortable? How many bedrooms and baths? Garage space? Do you really need a basement or will it become a storage unit for unwanted possessions? Do you like walk-up attics? Big yards or small? Open floor plans or lots of small rooms or a combination of both? Do you need a guest suite?



Third – Fill in the details. After you have the location narrowed down and have an idea of what kind of living space you like you can fill in the list with details like fireplace, hardwood floors, granite counters, patios, sheds, big windows……in other words, details. You may or may not get all of them in one house but these details are something that can be added later if not currently in an otherwise perfect house.



Fourth – have fun and remember that buying a house is not an event – it’s a process. I hope to see you during your house-hunting adventure.