Quincy Jones loved to surprise, bring people together, break down boundaries. Style, age, or nationality didn’t matter; only the quality of the music did. Such open-mindedness was rare in the industry. To bring his wildest projects to life on stage, he could always count on his great friend, his “brother from another mother”, Claude Nobs.

Every summer, for more than thirty years, the Montreux Jazz Festival was his second home. Behind the scenes, “Q” seemed tireless, always ready for a jam session, to meet a new artist, or to keep the party going until dawn. Lenny Kravitz reminded us last summer during his concert: “I had many fun action-packed nights in Montreux. Claude and Quincy would put me to bed every night. Quincy Jones doesn’t sleep.”

The story between Quincy and Montreux began in 1991 when he was named official co-producer for three years. For Claude, it was a huge dream come true, marking the start of a close and brotherly friendship. This collaboration opened with a masterstroke: they managed to convince Miles Davis to revisit major works from his past in Montreux—a feat he had always refused until then. Directed by Quincy Jones, this legendary concert would be one of Miles’s last, as he passed away a few months later. The album went on to win a Grammy Award.

Throughout the 2000s, Quincy Jones organized grand, exclusive nights for Montreux, bringing together a plethora of musicians from all continents and generations. Notable names include Phil Collins, Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Simply Red, Chaka Khan, Petula Clark, Al Jarreau, Nana Mouskouri, Mos Def, Jon Batiste, Matthieu Chedid, and Jorja Smith.

After Claude’s passing in 2013, Quincy continued to come to Montreux every summer, carrying on his role as an ambassador with all his passion and genius. Always open to new discoveries, he met young talents in Montreux, such as Jacob Collier and Alfredo Rodriguez, whom he took under his wing as a producer and mentor.

Quincy Jones will forever mark the history of Montreux and the hearts of all those who had the chance to meet him there. We will greatly miss his laughter, his wild stories, travel tales, zest for life, and generosity.

Thank you for everything, Quincy.
You were our hero.

The post Quincy Jones 1933 – 2024 appeared first on Montreux Jazz Festival.

“I just want to give a thanks to the Montreux Jazz Artists Foundation for putting on this Residency and giving young musicians a chance to explore, learn, be mentored and find new avenues for their music and creativity. It’s very inspiring seeing people’s minds open, discussions happen and great music being made.”

Theo Croker

“I’m very grateful for the Montreux Jazz Residency and the Foundation for creating this space and this moment to just connect and share and inspire each other. It’s very rare to find festivals especially committing to supporting artists. The whole team was very involved, giving us energy, pushing us to believe in ourselves. It is important to create spaces for that.”

Reinel Bakole

The Montreux Jazz Artists Foundation extends its heartfelt thanks to the audience, musicians, collaborators, speakers, sponsors, and patrons for their presence and support, and looks forward to welcoming you again in 2025 for the 6th edition of its Autumn Festival!

PRIX COUP DE CŒUR offered by Julius Baer

Geneva-based band L’Osmose won the Coup de Cœur Prize offered by bank Julius Baer, a partner of the Montreux Jazz Artists Foundation. Their ethereal soundscapes, psychedelic vibe, and groove captivated both the live audience and viewers on social media. They will receive musical equipment of their choice, valued at CHF 8,000.

Congratulations to the other bands in the running for the prize: Marlin, Dan and the Dynamite, Mel D, MATTERS UNKNOWN, freekind., Reinel Bakole, and Pipya and The Gang Band.

The post MJF Residency 2024 – A haven of creativity and connections appeared first on Montreux Jazz Festival.

Playing Montreux Jazz Festival was one of the greatest musical honours I have ever been granted. I am so enamoured and in awe of the history of all the artists who have stood on the stage we shared, a festival dedicated to celebrating and providing a platform for true musicianship. I left the stage feeling the highest of highs.

RAYE

The album features seven tracks, including her hits ‘Escapism’, ‘Genesis’ and an intense rendition of ‘It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World’, which James Brown sang at the Festival in 1981. This is RAYE’s second live album, following her symphonic concert recorded at the Royal Albert Hall last year.

Tracklist (Digital + Vinyl)

1. The Thrill Is Gone. (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival)
2. Worth It. (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival)
3. Mary Jane. (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival)
4. Ice Cream Man. (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival)
5. Genesis. (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival)
6. It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival)
7. Escapism. (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival)

The post RAYE releases “Live at Montreux” album! appeared first on Montreux Jazz Festival.

For the last weekend of the MJF Spotlight Sessions in Villars, the Festival welcomes a rising star in folk music. Passionate about the glamorous America of the fifties, Irish singer Holly Macve has notably collaborated with Lana Del Rey on the track ‘Suburban House.’ The concert will take place on March 1st at the Villars Palace Theatre at 8:00 PM. Five Insiders will be randomly selected to attend with a guest of their choice!

Event Details:

• ? 5×2 tickets to win for Holly Macve’s concert at the Villars Palace Theatre (March 1st, 8:00 PM)
• ? One complimentary drink per person at the Palace Bar
• ? Entertainment at the Palace Bar: après-ski starting at 5:00 PM and DJ sets from the end of the concert until midnight
• ⏰ Random drawing on Monday, February 27th, at 11:00 AM (winners will be notified by email)

Enter the Contest!

The post PAST | Win tickets for Holly Macve’s Spotlight Session in Villars appeared first on Montreux Jazz Festival.

Welcome to the Montreux Jazz Festival Residency! From 4 to 7 October 2023, up-and-coming talents and big names from the jazz and soul scenes will be coming together at the Petit Palais of the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace. On the programme: concerts, showcases, workshops, jam sessions and DJ sets. All the activities at this event, formerly known as Autumn of Music, are free.

We’re inviting 3×2 Insiders to enjoy a wonderful evening of food and music at the Residency!

Event details

?️ Complimentary meal for two at the Montreux Jazz Café
? Reserved seats for the concerts (from 8pm)
? Two free drinks during the evening at the Residency
⏰ Prize draw on Friday 29 September at 11am (the winner will be notified by email)

Four evenings to choose from

• Wednesday 4 October: Mira Lora, a young Swiss-German singer-songwriter, and Sheila Maurice-Grey, trumpeter with London band Kokoroko.
• Thursday 5 October: muralim, a progressive jazz quintet from Zurich, and Maya Delilah, a London guitarist and singer already signed to Blue Note at the age of 22.
• Friday 6 October: neo-soul singer Nayana from Lausanne and Jasmine Myra, saxophonist with atmospheric compositions praised by Jamie Cullum
• Saturday 7 October: Obliecht, a band playing indie folk tinged with Appenzell hackbrett, and Yoni Mayraz, an Israeli keyboardist based in London with hip-hop and electro influences.

Enter the draw!

The post PAST | Dinner & music night at MJF Residency ? appeared first on Montreux Jazz Festival.

Do you like this year’s Montreux Jazz Festival poster? The Insider team invites you to meet the artist Supakitch and receive a free original poster bearing his signature! ✍️

All you have to do is fill in the form below and check your e-mail. Hurry up! ?‍♂️

Event details

• ? Saturday, July 8
• ⏰ From 5pm
• ? Draw: tomorrow at 4pm. Winners will be notified by e-mail.
• ℹ️ This event is exclusively for Insiders.

About the artist

Guillaume Grando a.k.a. SupaKitch is a french multidisciplinary artist with an international rise.
Born in the suburbs of Paris in 1978, he started graffiti quite young which is still felt in his work as a background. Sailing between city and sea landscapes, the artist mixes influences from his teenage years punctuated by Hip-Hop, design, architecture, sport and board culture.

Try your luck!

The post PAST | July 8 – Meet & greet with artist Supakitch ? appeared first on Montreux Jazz Festival.

For his only concert in French Switzerland, the Team gives you the chance to attend the concert of the great Christine and the Queens. ?

The show takes place at the Montreux Jazz Lab, and you’ll even be able to see the mesmerizing Freya Ridings as opening act!

To take part to the draw just fill in the form below and check your e-mails. ?

Event details

• ⏰ Wednesday, July 5 from 20:00.
• ? Draw: tomorrow at 16:00. Winners will be notified by e-mail.
• ? Montreux Jazz Lab. 
• ℹ️ The ticket gives access to the concert to you only, you will not be able to be accompanied by a person.

About Christine and the Queens

Since the beginning of his career, Christine and the Queens has taken a number of different paths. Starting in Nantes, he has, in the space of ten years, shaken the whole world. And if we’re talking on a global scale, it’s because Chris has radiated his talent well beyond the borders of France. His first album, Chaleur Humaine, sold over a million copies and single-handedly redefined the contours of pop music in all its forms, especially the freer ones. An artist with a thousand and one facets, Chris frees himself from codes and genres by offering a more intimate music than ever.  

Enter the draw!

The post PAST | July 5 – Win a ticket for Christine and the Queens ? appeared first on Montreux Jazz Festival.

The Insider Team is giving you the chance to win 2 entries to the Ibis Music Terrace VIP Lounge, where you’ll be able to contemplate a breathtaking view of the lake while enjoying the Miel de Montagne concert ⛰

To enter, simply fill in the form below and keep an eye on your e-mail. ? Please note: the draw takes place today at 7pm.

Event details

⏰ Tuesday, July 4 from 20:00.
? Draw: today at 7pm. Winners will be notified by e-mail.
? Terrasse Ibis Music

About Miel de Montagne

For his first EP released in June 2018, Miel de Montagne reveals himself with electronic productions tinged with pop. He sings about the simple life, the one he leads in the countryside with his parents, his love stories, his skateboard and his dog. In 2019, on his first album, he talks about his existence: a young man of 24 years sometimes a little lost with the hope of a ray of sunshine in the voice, funny and deep, light and disillusioned, party dancer. The result is a music that resembles the new generation, uncomplicated, hybrid and decompartmentalized.

Try your luck!

The post PAST | July 4 – Win 2 Ibis VIP Lounge entries for the Miel de Montagne concert ? appeared first on Montreux Jazz Festival.

Get your Insider wristband ready! Tomorrow you can attend the pop and indie-rock evening at the Montreux Jazz Lab with Gayle, Cavetown and Caroline Polachek. ? ? You’ll have the opportunity to take part in a wild evening, with extraordinary artists, and you won’t be able to stop singing your heart out!

A great moment of sharing and musical excellence you can’t miss. ✨

Access to the concert is easy: just show up at the Montreux Jazz Lab with your Insider bracelet.

Event details

• ?Montreux Jazz Lab
• ⏰  The concert starts at 8pm
• ? Make sure you have your Insider bracelet ? on you.
• ℹ️ The wristband only gives access to you to the concert. You can’t be accompanied by anyone without a wristband or concert ticket.

The post PAST | July 3 – Join the party at Montreux Jazz Lab ? appeared first on Montreux Jazz Festival.

To celebrate his first time in Switzerland, the Team is offering you the chance to win 2 balcony tickets for the concert of American rapper Lil Nas X. ? 

The show will take place at the Stravinski Auditorium, with Romy as opening act, the co-founder of British indie pop band The XX.

Try to win your ticket for a one-of-a-kind night. ?

• ⏰ Tuesday July 4 from 20:30.
• ? Draw: tomorrow at 4pm. Winners will be notified by e-mail.
• ? Stravinski Auditorium, balcony. 
• ? Winners will be able to choose an extra person to join them. 

About Lil Nas X

Singer, rapper, queer activist and fashion icon, the phenomenon Lil Nas X revealed himself to the world in 2019 with the country-trap UFO ‘Old Town Road’, which spends a record 19 weeks on top of the US charts. Adored by Quincy Jones and Nicki Minaj, collaborating with Doja Cat, Miley Cyrus or Elton John, this force of nature never ceases to win over everything, redefining the codes of the genre in its path. With his first album Montero, Lil Nas X completely blurs the lines between pop, hip-hop and R&B, allowing him to assert himself well beyond the initial buzz of the cowboy rapper. 

Enter the draw!

The post PAST | July 4 – Win 2 balcony tickets for Lil Nas X ? appeared first on Montreux Jazz Festival.

Tomorrow, 20 of you will have the chance to take an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Festival! The tour will take place with Isabel, your usual guide. ?

To take part, simply fill in the form below. Hurry up, the draw is today! 

Details

• ⏰ Sunday, July 2, starting at 5 p.m.
• ? Drawing: today at 7pm. Winners will be notified by e-mail.
• ? 20 Insiders will have the privilege of discovering the Festival backstage.

Enter the draw!

The post PAST | July 2 – Come and visit the Festival backstage ⭐️ appeared first on Montreux Jazz Festival.

To celebrate the start of the Festival, the Insider team is starting off strong: we’re inviting you all to the concert of the legendary Chris Isaak. ? We hope to see many of you there to sing his timeless hit “Wicked Game” and share an exceptional night with us!

Access to the concert couldn’t be easier: just show up with your Insider bracelet at the Stravinski Auditorium. 

This invitation is our way of thanking you for your loyalty, or just for joining us if it’s your first year. ✨

And for the pre-party, we’re offering you a drink at the Bar Pro where you can meet other Insiders.

Event details

• ?Free drink at Bar Pro from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• ? Concert: Sunday, July 2 from 8:30pm
• ? Stravinski Auditorium
• ? With Swiss singer Bastien Baker as opening act!
• ℹ️ The bracelet only gives you access to the concert, you can not be accompanied by a person without a bracelet or ticket for the concert.

About Chris Isaak

With his smooth voice and atmospheric reverbs, Chris Isaak has forged a unique musical signature, transcending his rockabilly and country influences.  The sensual and immortal “Wicked Game” is the most inspiring example.  Covered by everyone (R.E.M., London Grammar, Tori Amos, Céline Dion and others), this hit owes part of its success to its iconic black and white video, shot on a beach in Hawaii with model Helena Christensen. 

The post PAST | July 2 – Special access to the Chris Isaak concert ? appeared first on Montreux Jazz Festival.

The Montreux Jazz Festival comes to Villars with a beautiful project to highlight emerging artists: MJF Spotlight Sessions. For the occasion, we invite 10 Insiders (and their +1) to Flowerovlove’s concert! At just 17 years old, the young English singer is already a sensation in the world of alternative pop, inspired by artists like Tame Impala, Frank Ocean or SZA. The concert will take place on March 4th at the Villars Palace Theater at 8pm.

Event details

• ? 10×2 tickets to win for Flowerovlove’s concert at the Villars Palace Theater (March 4, starting at 8pm)
• ? 2 free drinks per person
• ?? Animation at the Villars Lodge: après-ski from 4:30pm and DJ sets from 9pm
• ⏰ Draw on Monday, February 20 at 11am (the winner will be notified by e-mail)

Enter the draw!

The post PAST | Win tickets for Flowerovlove’s Spotlight Session in Villars ? appeared first on Montreux Jazz Festival.

Don’t want to miss a single note from the Festival 2023? Ready to experience the ultimate music marathon this summer? Then our traditional Insider Christmas offer is for you!

16 days of non-stop live music

• ? The ALL MUSIC PASS gives access to all concerts of the 2023 edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival (standing access only)
• ? Exclusive price for Insider subscribers: CHF 999 instead of CHF 1499
• ? Offer valid until 18 December

The offer is no longer valid as of December 18, 2022. The All Music Pass is available at the standard price below:

The post PAST | All Music Pass: Insider offer for CHF 999.- instead of 1499.- appeared first on Montreux Jazz Festival.

The Autumn of Music festival starts tomorrow ? In parallel to the public activities, the seven ultra-talented young musicians of the Montreux Jazz Academy will prepare a unique concert with their renowned mentors, such as Gilles Peterson or Chico Freeman. Their performance will be full of surprises, improvisation and experimentation. A great moment of sharing and musical excellence not to be missed!

Event details

• ? 5×2 tickets to win for the Academy concert, Saturday, November 26th at 8pm
• ? Complimentary drink during the evening
• ⏰ Drawing: Wednesday, November 23 at 11am

Enter the draw!

The post PAST | Win tickets to the Montreux Jazz Academy concert appeared first on Montreux Jazz Festival.

Radical and enigmatic, the poster for the 57^th Montreux Jazz Festival depicts the night-time ripples of Lake Geneva, illuminated by the event’s lively waterfront. The letters of the Montreux Jazz Festival, distorted by the movement of the water, seem to dance in the depths of the lake.

“The idea was to focus on the essential, because art should be radical. The unique characteristic of Lake Geneva, which I had the chance to admire during a visit to the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2018, lies in its blue-green shades.  I tried to reproduce these aquatic tones with a gradient towards black that evokes the nightlife of the Festival.“

Guillaume Grando

LAKE GENEVA, SYMBOL OF THE MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL

Lake Geneva is emblematic of the Montreux Jazz Festival image. It is portrayed on numerous album covers, sung in Deep Purple’s anthem “Smoke on the Water”, and each year, welcomes both its guests and performers to swim out and soak in its beauty. Yet it has rarely been represented on official posters. After Bruno Gaeng’s postcard poster (1974), Per Arnoldi’s swan-saxophone (1994) and Zep’s mermaids (2005), Guillaume Grando revisits this symbol of the Montreux landscape.  In the refined style that characterises his work, the multidisciplinary artist moves away from the touristic image of Lake Geneva in order to extract what is essential.

RESIN, ACRYLIC AND PHOTOGRAPHY: A COMPLEX PROCESS

The poster is the result of a complex process used in many of Guillaume Grando’s works. On a wooden support, the French artist applies several layers of acrylic and resin, sanded and sculpted to reproduce the texture of water and its reflections. Once the physical object was completed, various photographs of the work were used to form the image of the poster, to which the typography was added digitally.

The physical work, without typography, will be exhibited during the 57^th edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival, from 30 June to 15 July 2023.

FROM SUPAKITCH TO GUILLAUME GRANDO

Guillaume Grando (aka SupaKitch) is a French multidisciplinary artist of international renown. Born in the suburbs of Paris in 1978, he started graffiti at a very young age under the name SupaKitch. Although he draws his inspiration primarily from natural phenomena, Guillaume Grando also cites Pierre Soulages and abstract expressionists such as Jackson Pollock among his major influences.

Today, his formal research focuses on the essence of gesture, movement, light and matter, which become the central aspects of his approach, strongly influenced by the experience of surfing, freed of all superfluous elements so that only the expression of the waves remains.

The post Guillaume “SupaKitch” Grando designs the poster for the 57th Montreux Jazz Festival! appeared first on Montreux Jazz Festival.