Montreux Jazz Festival

Montreux Jazz Festival
1983 poster
Genre	Jazz, rock, pop
Dates	First fortnight of July
Location(s)	Montreux Musique & Convention Centre Grand-Rue 95 1820 Montreux Switzerland
Years active	1967–present
Website
Festival Website

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]

History

The Montreux Jazz Festival was founded in 1967 by Claude Nobs, Géo Voumard and René Langel^[2] with considerable help from Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegün of Atlantic Records. The festival was first held at Montreux Casino. It lasted for three days and featured almost exclusively jazz artists. The highlights of this era were Miles Davis, Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette, Bill Evans, Soft Machine, Weather Report, The Fourth Way, Nina Simone, Jan Garbarek, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Originally a pure jazz festival, it opened up in the 1970s and today presents artists of nearly every imaginable music style. Jazz remains an important part of the festival. Part of the festival's expansion was due to coproduction by Quincy Jones who brought many international artists in the early 1990s. Today's festival lasts about two weeks and attracts an audience of more than 200,000 people.

In the 1970s, the festival began broadening its scope, including blues, soul, and rock artists, for instance Marianne Faithfull, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, Deep Purple, Canned Heat and many others. Towards the end of the decade, the festival expanded even more, including music from all continents (with an emphasis on Brazilian music) and lasting a full three weeks. Santana came to Montreux for the first time in 1970; Van Morrison played in 1974 and 1980. Other artists included B.B. King, Gary Moore, Weather Report, Don Ellis, Crossfire, Buddy Guy, Camarón de la Isla, Soft Machine, Chuck Berry, George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, Eric Clapton, Luther Allison, Bo Diddley, Stan Getz, Airto Moreira, Joe Henderson, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Charles Mingus, Etta James, Sonny Rollins, Son House, Count Basie, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Gilberto Gil, Ray Charles, James Booker, Hermeto Pascoal, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Rory Gallagher, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Elis Regina, Les McCann, Eddie Harris, Pasadena Roof Orchestra, New Order, Jaco Pastorius, Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band, Toto, Zucchero Fornaciari, André Geraissati, Korni Grupa, Jan Akkerman, Joe Satriani, Status Quo, and many more.

The initiator and, until his tragic death in 2013, the head organizer, Claude Nobs, managed to bring an array of artists to Montreux, both established ones and newcomers.^[3] Following Claude's death the organisation of the festival was handed over to Mathieu Jaton.

Venue

The festival was originally held at the original Montreux Casino, which burned down in December 1971 during Frank Zappa's performance (as referenced in "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple). The festival was held then in other auditoriums in Montreux, until it could return to the rebuilt new Casino in 1975. The festival continued to grow, and in 1993, it moved to the larger Congress and Convention Centre Montreux. From 1995 through 2008, it occupied both the convention centre and the casino. Beginning with the 41st MJF in 2007, nightly performances of headliners were again moved mainly to the Montreux Musique & Convention Centre (though the Casino still hosts the odd one-off shows), owing mainly to logistics: the Casino is approximately 1 kilometre (1,100 yd) from the Convention Centre, making it difficult for crew, artists and technical personnel (as well as fans) to travel easily through crowded streets from one venue to the other. (This is exacerbated by the presence of a large number of streetside vendors and artisans – as well as strolling crowds of tourists – on the lakefront walk that connects the venues.) As of 2007, the Convention Centre hosts two main stages, Auditorium Stravinski (capacity 3,500) and Miles Davis Hall (capacity 1,800), as well as the smaller Montreux Jazz Cafe, and several smaller open-air stages around the Centre. Additional themed shows (Bahia, Blues, etc.) are held on boats cruising the lake and train cars traveling the region, and various workshops and competitions are held at the nearby Montreux Palais and Le Petit Palais.

Venue History

Venue History

Date	Venue
16–18 June 1967	Montreux Casino
12–16 June 1968
18–22 June 1969
17–21 June 1970
12–20 June 1971
16–29 June 1972	Pavillon Montreux
29 June – 15 July 1973	Montreux Convention Center
28 June – 7 July 1974
3–20 July 1975	Montreux Casino
25 June – 6 July 1976
1–24 July 1977
7–23 July 1978
6–22 July 1979
4–20 July 1980
3–20 July 1981
9–25 July 1982
8–24 July 1983
6–22 July 1984
5–20 July 1985
3–19 July 1986
3–17 July 1987
1–17 July 1988
7–22 July 1989
6–21 July 1990
9–29 July 1991
10–22 July 1992
2–17 July 1993	Congress and Convention Centre Montreux (Auditorium Stravinski/The New Q's)
1–16 July 1994	Congress and Convention Centre Montreux (Auditorium Stravinski/Miles Davis Hall)
7–22 July 1995	Congress and Convention Centre Montreux (Auditorium Stravinski/Miles Davis Hall) Montreux Casino Montreux Jazz Café
5–20 July 1996
4–19 July 1997
3–18 July 1998
2–17 July 1999
7–22 July 2000
6–21 July 2001	Congress and Convention Centre Montreux (Auditorium Stravinski/Miles Davis Hall) Montreux Casino Montreux Jazz Café Scène Bleu
5–20 July 2002	Congress and Convention Centre Montreux (Auditorium Stravinski/Miles Davis Hall) Montreux Casino Montreux Jazz Café Montreux Jazz Young Planet Montreux Jazz Club
4–19 July 2003	Congress and Convention Centre Montreux (Auditorium Stravinski/Miles Davis Hall) Casino Barrière de Montreux Montreux Jazz Café Montreux Jazz Young Planet Montreux Jazz Club
2–17 July 2004
1–16 July 2005
30 June – 15 July 2006
6–21 July 2007	Montreux Musique & Convention Centre (Auditorium Stravinski/Miles Davis Hall) Montreux Jazz Café Montreux Jazz Young Planet Montreux Jazz Club
4–19 July 2008	Montreux Musique & Convention Centre (Auditorium Stravinski/Miles Davis Hall) Montreux Jazz Café Montreux Jazz Young Planet Montreux Jazz Club MDH Club Studio 41 Music in the Park
3–18 July 2009
2–17 July 2010
1–16 July 2011
29 June – 14 July 2012
5–20 July 2013	Montreux Musique & Convention Centre (Auditorium Stravinski/Miles Davis Hall) Montreux Jazz Café Montreux Jazz Young Planet Montreux Jazz Club MDH Club Studio 41 Music in the Park Montreux Jazz Lab
4–19 July 2014

Expansion

The festival changed in the 1980s: it grew dramatically and included an even wider variety of music styles.^[4] Jazz remained important, as did Brazilian music, but more and 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

Three international competitions are organised by the Montreux Jazz Artists Foundation^[5] 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: Fazil Say for the Piano Solo, Lee Ritenour for the Guitar, Patti Austin for the Voice competition). In addition, a local competition, the Tremplin Lémanique, is 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.

Performances

Al Di Meola – 1986, 1989, 1993[6][7][8] Alanis Morissette – 2001, 2012[9][10] Alice Cooper – 2005[11] Annie Lennox – 1992[12] B. B. King – 1984, 1993, 2001[13][8][9] Ben E. King – 1987[14] Bert Jansch – 1975[15] Billy Cobham – 2010[16] Billy Idol – 2010[16] Black Eyed Peas – 2009[17] Bob Dylan – 2001, 2012 Bill Evans – 1968 Boney James – 1999 Bonnie Raitt – 1977 Bow Wow – 1978 Buddy Guy – 1992, 2012 Candy Dulfer – 2002 Canned Heat – 1973 Carlos Santana presents Buddy Guy, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Bobby Parker – 2004 Chicago – 1969 Chick Corea Elektric Band Chris Rea – 1986, 1997, 2002, 2014 Climax Blues Band – 1982 Crossfire – 1982 Crusaders – 2003 Cyrille Aimée – 2007[18] David Bowie – 2002 Deee–Lite – 1991 Deep Purple – 1969, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2016 Dennis Brown – 1979 Dr John – 1993, 1995 Earth, Wind & Fire – 1997 Ella Fitzgerald – 1969, 1977 Ellenville Jazz Ensemble – 1982 Emerson, Lake & Palmer – 1997 Eric Clapton – 1986, 1992, 1997 Etta James – 1993 Fenton High School Big Band – 1969 Frank Zappa – 1971 Gary Moore – 1990, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2010 George Clinton – 2004 George Benson – 1986 Green Day – 2013 Herb Alpert – 1996 Heritage Orchestra – 2005 Jack Bruce – 1982 Jackson Browne – 1982 James Brown – 1981, 1993 Jamiroquai – 1995, 2002, 2003 Jean Shy & The Shy Guys – 2013 Jedi Mind Tricks – 2009 Jethro Tull – 1970, 2003 Joe Cocker – 1992 Joe Satriani – 1988 John Surman – 1968 Johnny Cash – 1994 Jonny Lang – 1999 Junko Onishi – 1996 Korn – 2004 Korni Grupa – 1972 Kotaro Oshio – 2002, 2004 Kenny G – 1987, 1988 Led Zeppelin – 1970, 1971 Lenny Kravitz – 2008 Leonard Cohen – 1976, 1985, 2008, 2013 Lou Reed – 2000 Louisiana Red – 1975, 1984 Little Milton – 1973 Luther Allison – 1976, 1983, 1984, 1994 MacArthur H.S. Jazz Ensemble – 1986 Mahavishnu Orchestra – 1972, 1974, 1984 Maná – 1994 Marcus Miller Martin H.S. Jazz Ensemble – 1983 Marvin Gaye – 1980

Max Cooper – 2016 Melody Gardot – 2015 Mezzoforte – 1984 Michał Urbaniak – 1971 Michel Petrucciani – 1986 Mike Oldfield – 1981 Miles Davis – 1973, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 Mink DeVille – 1982 Mira – 1997 Muse – 2002, 2016 Nightmares on Wax – 2006 Nightwish – 2012 Nina Hagen – 1985 Nina Simone – 1976, 1987, 1990 Ofra Haza – 1990[19] Otis Rush – 1986 Orthodox Celts – 2013 Pat Metheny – 1985, 1994, 1999 Peter Tosh – 1979 Astor Piazzolla – 1986 Placebo – 2007 Prince Rogers Nelson – 2007, 2009, 2013 The Pretty Reckless – 2011 Queens of the Stone Age – 2005 Quique Neira – 2009 Radiohead – 2003 Randy Crawford – 1992, 2003 Ray Charles – 1997 Return to Forever Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band – 1992 Robert Plant – 1993, 2006 Rory Gallagher – 1970 (with Taste), 1975, 1977, 1979, 1985, 1994 Rostov Trio – 1992 Sade – 1984 Santana – 1970, 1971, 1980, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2006, 2011, 2015 Shahin Novrasli – 2007 Sigur Rós – 2001 Simply Red – 1986, 1992, 1996, 2003, 2010, 2016 South Garland High School Jazz Ensemble 1985 Spyro Gyra – 1984 Steel Pulse – 1979 Steps Ahead – 1984 Steve Earle – 2005 Stevie Ray Vaughan – 1982, 1985 Suzanne Vega – 2000, 2004 Talk Talk – 1986 Talib Kweli – 2009 Taste – 1970 Tears For Fears – 1985 Ten Years After – 1970 The Corrs – 1998, 2004, 2005 The Dubliners – 1976 The Jeff Healey Band – 1999 The Moody Blues – 1991 The Raconteurs – 2008 The Stray Cats – 1981 The Strokes – 2006 The Young Gods – 2005 The Jets – 1986 In Flight – 1989 Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra – 2008 Tori Amos – 1991, 1992, 2005, 2007, 2010 Toto – 1991, 2015 UB40 – 2001 Vampire Weekend – 2008 Van Morrison – 1974, 1980, 2001, 2012 Was Not Was – 1992 Weather Report – 1976 Wu-Tang Clan – 2007 Wyclef Jean – 2009 Yes – 2003 Zucchero Fornaciari – 1996, 2004 ZZ Top – 2013 A number of performances have been released on DVD and/or Blu-ray by Eagle Rock Entertainment.[20]

Discography

Australian Youth All Star Big Band performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2004.

Albums recorded at the festival

• Alanis Morissette: Live at Montreux 2012 (CD/DVD/Blu-ray)
• Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux (CD/DVD)
• Atlantic Family: The Atlantic Family Live at Montreux, 1977
• Baby Consuelo: Baby Consuelo ao Vivo – 14th Montreux Jazz Festival, 1980
• Don Ellis: Don Ellis Live at Montreux, 1977
• Bill Evans: Bill Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival
• Bill Evans: Montreux II
• Bill Evans: Montreux III
• Bob James: Live at Montreux
• Bobby Hutcherson: Live at Montreux
• Carlos Santana and Wayne Shorter – Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1988
• Charles Earland: Kharma, 1974
• Count Basie: Montreux '77 (Pablo, 1977)
• Deep Purple: Live at Montreux 1996
• Deep Purple: Live at Montreux 2006
• Deep Purple: Live at Montreux 2011
• Dennis Brown: Live at Montreux
• Dexter Gordon and Junior Mance: Dexter Gordon with Junior Mance at Montreux (Prestige, 1970)
• Don Pullen & the African-Brazilian Connection: Live...Again: Live at Montreux (Blue Note, 1993)
• Carmen McRae: Live at Montreux
• Earl Hines: West Side Story (Black Lion, 1974)
• Ella Fitzgerald – Montreux '77 (Pablo, 1977), Digital III at Montreux, 1979
• Gene Ammons: Gene Ammons and Friends at Montreux (Prestige, 1973)
• Gary Moore & The Midnight Blues Band: Live at Montreux, 1990 (DVD)
• Rory Gallagher: Live in Montreux 2006
• Dizzy Gillespie: The Dizzy Gillespie Big 7 (Pablo, 1975), Dizzy Gillespie Jam (Pablo, 1977), Musician, Composer, Raconteur (Pablo, 1981)
• Hampton Hawes: Playin' in the Yard (Prestige, 1973)
• Jamiroquai: Jamiroquai - Live at Montreux 2003 (DVD)
• Jethro Tull: Live At Montreux 2003 (2CD/DVD)
• Joe Pass – Montreux '77 - Live, 1977
• Junko Onishi: Junko Onishi Trio at the Montreux Jazz Festival (LD/VHS) (Toshiba EMI, TOLW-3253, 1997)
• King Sunny Adé: Live at Montreux 1982
• Les McCann: Live at Montreux, 1972
• Little Milton: What It Is: Live at Montreux 1973
• Louisiana Red: Live in Montreux rec.1975 (Earwig 2000)
• Luther Allison: Live in Montreux 1976–1994 1996
• Marlena Shaw: Live in Montreux 1973
• McCoy Tyner: Enlightenment (Milestone, 1973)
• Michel Petrucciani: Power of Three, Live at Montreux 1986 (Blue Note, LP/CD)
• Mike Oldfield: Live at Montreux 1981
• Miles Davis & Quincy Jones: Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux
• Modern Jazz Quartet: Together Again: Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival '82 (Pablo, 1982)
• Nile Rodgers & Chic: Live at Montreux 2004
• Ofra Haza: Ofra Haza at Montreux Jazz Festival (CD/DVD)
• Oliver Nelson: Swiss Suite (Flying Dutchman, 1970)
• Peter Tosh: Live at Montreux 1979
• Randy Weston: Carnival (Freedom, 1974)
• Ray Bryant: Alone at Montreux (Atlantic, 1972)
• Ray Charles: Live at Montreux 1997
• Santana - Greatest Hits - Live At Montreux 2011
• Simply Red: Live At Montreux Jazz Festival (part of Stars Collectors Edition)
• Steve Earle: Live at Montreux 2005
• Stevie Ray Vaughan: Live at Montreux 1982 and 1985
• Sun Ra: Live at Montreux (CD/2xCD/LP/2xLP)
• Talk Talk: Live at Montreux 1986
• The Dubliners: Live at Montreux
• Titãs: Go Back, 1988
• Tori Amos: Live at Montreux 1991/1992
• Van Morrison: Live at Montreux 1980/1974
• Yes: Live at Montreux 2003
• ZZ Top: Live at Montreux 2013
• Various Artists: Montreux Summit Volumes 1&2 1977 – Two double album sets consisting of an all-star concert with various Columbia label artists including Bob James, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Billy Cobham, George Duke, Benny Golson, Eric Gale, Hubert Laws, Maynard Ferguson and many others.

References

1. Mutter, Zoe MEYER SOUND LEOPARD TAKES TO THE MONTREUX JAZZ STAGES AV Magazine. July 16, 2015
2. "Géo Voumard, a Founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival, Dies at 87". New York Times. Agence France-Presse. 8 August 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2008.
3. Archived 7 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
4. "Evolution of genres in the Montreux Jazz Festival". 2016-07-29. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
5. "Montreux Jazz Artists Foundation". Retrieved 2016-10-24.
6. "Festival 1986 artists". Retrieved 2016-10-24.
7. "Festival 1989 artists". Retrieved 2016-10-24.
8. "Festival 1993 artists". Retrieved 2016-10-24.
9. "Festival 2001 artists". Retrieved 2016-10-24.
10. "Festival 2012 artists". Retrieved 2016-10-24.
11. "Festival 2005 artists". Retrieved 2016-10-24.
12. "Festival 1992 artists". Retrieved 2016-10-24.
13. "Festival 1984 artists". Retrieved 2016-10-24.
14. "Festival 1987 artists". Retrieved 2016-10-24.
16. "Festival 2010 artists". Retrieved 2016-10-24.
17. "Festival 2009 artists". Retrieved 2016-10-24.
18. Ronni Reich, October 21, 2012, Star–Ledger, Cyrille Aimee wins the first Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Competition, Retrieved February 22, 2015, ".. In 2007, she was named winner of the first and public prizes at the Montreux Jazz Festival Competition...
19. "Live in Montreux Jazz Festival 1990". Israel-music.com. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
20. "Eagle Rock". Eagle-rock.com. Retrieved 2014-02-16.

External links

• Montreux Jazz Festival
• Claude Nobs Foundation
• Live at Montreux on YouTube
• Claude Nobs Revealed on CNN.com International

Coordinates: 46°26′20″N 6°54′16″E / 46.43889°N 6.90444°E