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Montreux Jazz Festival

The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual jazz festival in the world after Canada's Montreal International Jazz Festival.[1]

Not to be confused with Montreal International Jazz Festival.

Montreux Jazz Festival

Jazz, rock, pop

First fortnight of July

1967–present

Initiator and head organizer Claude Nobs brought an array of artists to Montreux.[2] Mathieu Jaton has organised the festival since Nobs' death in 2013.

Expansion[edit]

The festival changed in the 1980s: it grew dramatically and included an even wider variety of music styles.[8] Jazz remained important, as did Brazilian music, but more rock and pop artists were also invited.


Miles Davis came to Montreux several times, British hard rock band Deep Purple were invited as headliners eight times, and Status Quo have headlined the festival twice. Other notable artists at Montreux were Sandra, Max Roach, James Brown, George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, Wynton Marsalis, Art Blakey, John McLaughlin, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Wayne Shorter, Al Di Meola, Elvis Costello, Jimmy Cliff, Steel Pulse, Mike Oldfield, Brian May, Marvin Gaye, Rory Gallagher, Leonard Cohen, Nina Hagen, Eric Clapton, Queen, Phil Collins, Joe Cocker, Los Lobos, The Manhattan Transfer, Tracy Chapman, and Van Morrison again.


The expansion that began in the 1980s has continued since then – Montreux transformed from a jazz festival into a world music festival. Quincy Jones co-produced the festival from 1991 to 1993. By 1993, the festival had outgrown the Casino and moved to the larger Convention Centre. The number of visitors rose from 75,000 in 1980 to 120,000 in 1994, and an "Off-festival" developed on the lakeshore promenades and in the cafés of Montreux.


Many "regulars" returned, but many new artists also appeared on stage: Sting, Bob Dylan, Fats Domino, Deep Purple, Al Jarreau, Chaka Khan, Johnny Cash, Cheap Trick, Cheb Mami, Youssou N'Dour, Marianne Faithfull, Ice-T, Jazzmatazz, ZZ Top, Simply Red, Marisa Monte, George Benson, Jazzkantine, Alanis Morissette, David Bowie, Paul Simon. In 1999, the festival saw more than 220,000 visitors.


The festival has also played host to some well-known and talented student groups, including big bands and vocal ensembles. Young, talented musicians are encouraged to take part in several competitions.

Competitions[edit]

Three international competitions are organised by the Montreux Jazz Artists Foundation[9] every year: Solo Piano, Guitar, and Voice. Each competition has its own jury composed of professionals and chaired by a world-renowned musician (in 2008: Fazıl Say for the Piano Solo, Lee Ritenour for the Guitar, Patti Austin for the Voice competition). In addition, until 2016, a local competition, the Tremplin Lémanique, was aimed at jazz bands that are based in one of the regions of the Léman lake: the French departments of Ain and Haute Savoie and the Swiss cantons of Geneva, Vaud and Valais.[10]

: Live at Montreux 2012 (Eagle Rock Entertainment, 2013)[CD/DVD/Blu-ray] – recorded in 2012

Alanis Morissette

: Live at Montreux (Eagle Vision, 2006) [CD/DVD] – recorded in 2005

Alice Cooper

Arista All Stars: Blue Montreux (Arista, 1979) – recorded in 1978

Atlantic Family: (Atlantic, 1978) – recorded in 1977

The Atlantic Family Live at Montreux

: Baby Consuelo ao Vivo – 14th Montreux Jazz Festival (Elektra, 1980)

Baby Consuelo

: Benny Carter 4: Montreux '77 (Pablo Live, 1977)

Benny Carter

: Bill Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Verve, 1968)

Bill Evans

Bill Evans: (CTI, 1970)

Montreux II

Bill Evans: (Fantasy, 1975)

Montreux III

: Live at Montreux (Koch, 2005)[DVD]

Bob James

: Bobbi Humphrey Live: Cookin' with Blue Note at Montreux (Blue Note, 1974) – recorded in 1973

Bobbi Humphrey

: Bobby Hutcherson Live at Montreux (Blue Note, 1974) – recorded in 1973

Bobby Hutcherson

: Live at Montreaux Jazz Festival 2001 (Reggae, 2002) – recorded in 2001

Burning Spear

: Live at Montreux 1973 (Eagle, 2012) – recorded in 1973

Canned Heat

and Wayne Shorter: Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1988 (Image Entertainment, 2005)[2CD+DVD]

Carlos Santana

: Everything Happens To Me (Jazz Hour, 1994) – reissued as Live at Montreux 1982 (Solid, 2018)

Carmen McRae

: Silent Tongues (Freedom, 1975) – recorded in 1974

Cecil Taylor

: Kharma (Prestige, 1974)

Charles Earland

Quartet: Montreux 82 (Elektra/Musician, 1983) – recorded in 1982

Charles Lloyd

: Live in Montreux (GRP, 1994) – recorded in 1981

Chick Corea

: Fun Time (Pablo, 1975)

Count Basie

Count Basie: (Pablo, 1975)

Count Basie Jam Session at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1975

Count Basie: (Pablo, 1977)

Montreux '77

: Live at Montreux 1996 (Eagle, 2006)

Deep Purple

Deep Purple: (Eagle, 2007) – recorded in 2006

Live at Montreux 2006

Deep Purple: (Eagle, 2011)

Live at Montreux 2011

: Live at Montreux (Atlantic, 1979)

Dennis Brown

and Junior Mance: Dexter Gordon with Junior Mance at Montreux (Prestige, 1970)

Dexter Gordon

Dexter Gordon: (Prestige, 1973)

Blues à la Suisse

: Don Ellis Live at Montreux (Atlantic, 1978) – recorded in 1977

Don Ellis

& the African-Brazilian Connection: Live...Again: Live at Montreux (Blue Note, 1993)

Don Pullen

: West Side Story (Black Lion, 1974)

Earl Hines

: Montreux '77 (Pablo, 1977)

Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald: (Pablo, 1979)

Digital III at Montreux

with Hermeto Pascoal: Montreux Jazz Festival 1979 (WEA, 1982)

Elis Regina

Etta James: Live at Montreux 1975-1993 (Ear Music, 2020)

& The Midnight Blues Band: Gary Moore & The Midnight Blues Band – Live at Montreux 1990 (Eagle Rock Entertainment, 2004)[DVD]

Gary Moore

Gary Moore: (Eagle Rock Entertainment, 2007)

Gary Moore – The Definitive Montreux Collection

: Gene Ammons and Friends at Montreux (Prestige, 1973)

Gene Ammons

: Montreux Jazz Festival '74 (Philips [Japan], 1975)

Gil Evans

: Ao Vivo Montreux Jazz (Atlantic, 1979)[2LP]

Hermeto Pascoal

: Live in Montreux (Eagle, 2006)

Rory Gallagher

: The Dizzy Gillespie Big 7 (Pablo, 1975)

Dizzy Gillespie

Dizzy Gillespie: (Pablo, 1977)

Dizzy Gillespie Jam

Dizzy Gillespie: (Pablo, 1981)

Musician, Composer, Raconteur

: Playin' in the Yard (Prestige, 1973)

Hampton Hawes

: Live at Montreux (Montreux Sounds, 1997)

James Booker

: Jamiroquai – Live at Montreux 2003 (Eagle Vision, 2007)[DVD/Blu-ray]

Jamiroquai

: Live at Montreux 2003 (2003)[2CD, DVD]

Jethro Tull

: Live in Montreux (Elektra/Musician, 1987) – recorded in 1985

João Gilberto

: Montreux '77 – Live (Pablo, 1977)

Joe Pass

: Junko Onishi Trio at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Toshiba EMI, 1997)[LD/VHS]

Junko Onishi

John Lee Hooker & The Coast To Coast Blues Band: Live At Montreux 1983 & 1990 (Eagle Pop Entertainment, 2020)

: Live at Montreux (1982)

King Sunny Adé

: Live at Montreux 2004 (2004)

Korn

: Live at Montreux (Atlantic, 1973) – recorded in 1972

Les McCann

Les McCann and : Swiss Movement (Atlantic, 1969)

Eddie Harris

: What It Is: Live at Montreux (Atlantic, 1973)

Little Milton

: Live in Montreux (Earwig, 2000) – recorded in 1975

Louisiana Red

: Live in Montreux 1976–1994 (Ruf, 1996) – compilation

Luther Allison

: Marlena Shaw Live at Montreux (Blue Note, 1974) – recorded in 1973

Marlena Shaw

: Enlightenment (Milestone, 1973)

McCoy Tyner

: Power of Three (Blue Note, 1986)[LP/CD]

Michel Petrucciani

: Live at Montreux 1981 (Eagle Vision, 2006)[DVD]

Mike Oldfield

& Warren Bernhardt: Free Smiles: Live At Montreux 1978 (Arista Novus, 1978)

Mike Mainieri

& Quincy Jones: Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux (Warner Bros., 1991)

Miles Davis

: Together Again: Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival '82 (Pablo, 1982)

Modern Jazz Quartet

Trio: Monty Alexander Live! at the Montreux Jazz Festival (MPS, 1977) – recorded in 1976

Monty Alexander

LIVE AT THE MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL 2007 - [LP/CD]

Mötorhead:

& Caetano Veloso & Joao Bosco: "BRAZIL NIGHT - AO VIVO EM MONTREUX - CAETANO VELOSO, JOÃO BOSCO E NEY MATOGROSSO 1983“

Ney Matogrosso

& Wesing; LIVE at MONTREUX FESTIVAL (Warner Bros., 1980)

Naoya Matsuoka

& Chic: Live at Montreux 2004 (Eagle Vision, 2005)[DVD]

Nile Rodgers

: At Montreux Jazz Festival (Locust Music, 1998)[CD/DVD]

Ofra Haza

: Swiss Suite (Flying Dutchman, 1970)

Oliver Nelson

: Oscar Peterson Jam – Montreux '77 (Pablo, 1977)

Oscar Peterson

: Live at Montreux 1986 (1986) – joint performance with Eric Clapton and Luther Allison

Otis Rush

: Remedies For Babylon (Discurios, 1992) – recorded in 1979

Peter Tosh

: Sció live (EMI Italiana, 1984)[2LP] – 1 track recorded in 1983

Pino Daniele

: Live in Montreux 91-97 (Blue Note, 2002) – compilation

Rachelle Ferrell

: Carnival (Freedom, 1974)

Randy Weston

: Alone at Montreux (Atlantic, 1972)

Ray Bryant

: Live at Montreux 1997 (Eagle, 2008)[Blu-ray]

Ray Charles

: Live at Montreux 2001 (Eagle, 2007) – recorded in 2001

Run–D.M.C.

: At Montreux Jazz Festival (CBS/Sony, 1971) – recorded in 1970

Sadao Watanabe

: Streams (Impulse, 1973)

Sam Rivers

: Live at Montreux Jazz Festival – part of Stars Collectors Edition (1992)

Simply Red

: Live at Montreux 2005 (Eagle, 2006)

Steve Earle

: Live at Montreux 1982 & 1985 (Epic, 2001)

Stevie Ray Vaughan

: Live at Montreux 1976 (Eagle, 2008) – recorded in 1976

Stuff

: Live at Montreux (Saturn Research, 1977)[2LP] – recorded in 1976

Sun Ra

: Live at Montreux 1986 (Eagle Vision, 2008) – recorded in 1986

Talk Talk

: Live at Montreux (Intercord, 1977) – recorded in 1976

The Dubliners

: Go Back (WEA, 1988)

Titãs

: Montreux '77 (Pablo, 1977)

Tommy Flanagan

: Live at Montreux 1991/1992 (Eagle, 2008) – recorded in 1991, 92

Tori Amos

: Live at Montreux 1991 (Eagle, 2016)

Toto

: Live at Montreux 1980/1974 (Eagle, 2006) – recorded in 1974, 80

Van Morrison

: Live at Montreux 2003 (Eagle, 2007)

Yes

: Montreux Afterglow (Frasco, 1976)

Yōsuke Yamashita

: Live at Montreux 2013 (Eagle Vision, 2014) – recorded in 2013

ZZ Top

Various Artists: Montreux Summit Volumes 1 & 2 (Columbia, 1977)[2LP] – consisting of an all-star concert with various Columbia label artists including , Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Billy Cobham, George Duke, Benny Golson, Eric Gale, Hubert Laws, Maynard Ferguson and many others

Bob James

Various Artists: Casino Lights (1981) – Featuring duets with and Randy Crawford, Randy Crawford solo, Yellowjackets, and other artists

Al Jarreau

Various Artists: Casino Lights (, 2000)[2CD] – recorded in 1999. consisting of an all-star concert with various Warner Bros. label artists

Warner Bros.

Albums recorded at the festival

Official website

Montreux Jazz Concerts Database

Claude Nobs Foundation

Live at Montreux on YouTube

Claude Nobs Revealed on CNN.com International