Every year, in July, the city of Montreux hosts one of the most prestigious music festivals in the world. The history of the Montreux Jazz Festival is closely linked to one man, Claude Nobs, a local of the Swiss Riviera and the creator of this major event, who over the last 43 years has managed to bring to his native town some of the greatest musicians of the twentieth century.

Founded in 1967 by Claude Nobs, the Montreux Jazz Festival has become an unmissable event for music fans over the years, both in Switzerland and abroad. All the greats have performed on the festival's various stages, from Miles Davis to Ray Charles, through to David Bowie and Prince. Jazz music may have constituted the Festival's historic roots, but other musical styles quickly found their place within the festival, sharing a common bond of musical curiosity and mutual enthusiasm. Distinguishing itself by its ambitious programming choices, for two weeks the Montreux Jazz Festival offers an ideal platform for musicians in an intimate setting.

The 40th Edition of Montreux Jazz Festival took place from June 30th to July 15th, 2006.

With a budget of 19 Million CHF, and 1350 staff, it produced 16 Scenes, and allowed 230'000 visitors and 650 journalists enjoy 16 days of concerts in a unique and unparalleled experience.

43rd Montreux Jazz Festival July 3-18, 2009

Visit the Montreux Jazz Festival official website for the latest program, informations, events...

Icon travels to Switzerland where jazz legends Herbie Hancock and Quincy Jones sound check for the Montreux festival.

Carte blanche au Montreux Jazz Festival 23-25.06.10

En 1967, Claude Nobs créait un petit festival aux pieds dans l’eau. Savait-il qu’il deviendrait bientôt l’un des plus célèbres au monde, ce Montreux Jazz Festival par lequel toute la planète musicale est passée, de Miles Davis à Prince ? Durant trois soirs de carte blanche, le CCS accueille des révélations montreusiennes. Comme le Cubain Harold Lopez Nussa, qui a remporté en 2005 le concours de piano du festival. Comme Gabriel Zufferey et Colin Vallon, deux prodiges suisses
reconnus de manière précoce à Montreux. Hors nos murs, le brillant Ochumare Quartet mêle la Caraïbe au swing cosmopolite. Trois soirs comme une miniature de festival, avec projections de concerts légendaires du Montreux Jazz après les performances des pianistes.

Soirées programmées par Arnaud Robert, journaliste, et Stéphanie-Aloysia Moretti, cheffe de projet de la Fondation Montreux Jazz 2.


prix des places : 7 et 10 € / réservation conseillée : ccs (arrobase) ccsparis.com

MERCREDI 23.06 / 21 H 30 / accès libre
Ochumare Quartet
Dans le cadre du Festival Soirs d’été
Parvis de la mairie du 3e arrondissement
2 rue Eugène Spuller, 75003 Paris


JEUDI 24.06 / 20 H
Colin Vallon (piano solo)
Gabriel Zufferey (piano solo)


VENDREDI 25.06 / 20 H
Yaron Herman (piano solo)
Harold Lopez Nussa (piano solo)


Quarante ans de concerts filmés…


Le Montreux Jazz festival a carte blanche au Centre culturel suisse. À trois soirs de concerts, consacrés à des révélations montreusiennes, s’ajoutent des projections exceptionnelles dans la salle de spectacle. Les archives de Montreux, c’est une part du patrimoine musical du xxe siècle, en sons et images. Il faut voir Nina Simone fusiller le public et vous prendre à la gorge. Il faut voir James Brown ou la sublime Ella pour percevoir l’intensité de ces moments de grâce heureusement conservés.

MERCREDI 23 juin / 14 H
James Brown (1981, 113’)
Wayne Shorter (1986, 105’)


JEUDI 24 juin / 14 H
Charles Mingus (1975, 96’)
Seu Jorge (2005, 60’)
Après les concerts live du soir
Nina Simone (1976, 111’)


VENDREDI 25 juin / 14 H
Tori Amos (1991/92, 90’)
Ella Fitzgerald (1969, 66’)
Après les concerts live du soir
Marvin Gaye (1980, 100’)


Une programmation d’Arnaud Robert, journaliste, et Stéphanie-Aloysia Moretti, cheffe de projet
de la Fondation Montreux Jazz 2. www.montreuxjazz.com / www.fondation2.ch
Les meilleurs concerts du Montreux Jazz Festival en DVD sont disponibles dans la collection
« Live at Montreux», Eagle Vision / Naïve distribution.





En partenariat avec Vibrations, TSF Jazz, La Mairie du 3e, Montreux Jazz Festival

The complete programme of the 44th Montreux Jazz Festival will be announced on April 29.

www.montreuxjazz.com

Join Revealed for a glimpse into a musical genius' life:

www.cnn.com/revealed

Watch Lang Lang on Revealed in November (CNN Int.) at the following times:

Wednesday 18 November: 0930, 1730
Saturday 21 November: 0930, 1800, 2130
Sunday 22 November: 0630, 1830, 0400
(all times GMT)

Revealed follows Lang Lang to the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, where he teams up with his hero, Jazz legend Hancock. Backstage another Jazz legend Quincy Jones has popped by for the concert, remarking, "Lang Lang has taken the world by storm. This is as good as it gets."

Montreux, July 17th 2009. At the closing press conference, the festival recaps a successful edition, from both an artistic and commercial perspective. Much more importantly than the numbers, it is the exchange between the audience and the artists which has marked people�s spirits during the Festival. The proposal to open a second permanent Montreux Jazz Caf� in Sydney demonstrates the ongoing growth of the Festival, which will conclude with the two one-off Prince concerts on Saturday July 18th.

Saturday July 11th, 3 am, Auditorium Stravinski: Wyclef Jean, standing on his DJ's mix table, partying with audience members who have invaded the stage. This event perfectly represents the mood of the Montreux Jazz Festival 2009. Artists who are happy to be here and to share their pleasure with an audience who savor every moment, across all stages of the Festival.

It is impossible to sum up the Festival in just a few lines - every concert during the fortnight was a success, from a ticket-sale point of view as well. The audience particularly enjoyed the evening tribute to Island Records and Chris Blackwell, the worldwide premiere of the Herbie Hancock-Lang Lang collaboration, as well as the "American Evening" with Steely Dan, Dave Matthews Band and Chickenfoot. Without forgetting, of course, the memorable finale jams, such as those of BB King, George Benson and George Duke, and Solomon Burke. Artists who are completely free and open, and who make the Montreux Jazz Festival stand out.

The free stages also confirmed their growing popularity. With their varied programming, Music in the Park, Studio41, the MDH Club and the Montreux Jazz Caf� have enabled many visitors who had come to enjoy the Festival to see high-quality artists for free. The projects under the umbrella of the Fondation Montreux Jazz 2 enjoyed remarkable success, from both a critical and popular standpoint.

A year after the successful launch of the first permanent Montreux Jazz Caf� in Geneva, a proposal has been made for a second Caf� at Sydney Airport. The presence of Derek Larsen, General Manager for Retail at Sydney Airport, and Noel Toolan, Marketing Chief Officer of SSP � The Food Travel Experts, shows the importance of this project for the largest city in Australia. This Antipodean "embassy" will allow the Festival to reinforce its reputation and promote the region.

This edition of the Festival could only be closed by a very exceptional concert. Prince honors the Festival by playing two one-off concerts in the same evening at the Stravinski Auditorium. A one-of-a-kind finale which will add another page the Festival�s storied history.

44th Montreux Jazz Festival will take place from 2nd to 17th July, 2010.

access...

Founded in 1967 by Claude Nobs, the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland has become an unmissable event. Don't be fooled by the title � it's not all slapping the double bass and tinkering on the piano.The likes of Miles Davis and Ray Charles, through to David Bowie and Massive Attack, have graced the various stages in this stunning lakeside town. Streetside vendors and artisans line the lakefront walk that connects most of the venues. If you can get tickets, take in a show on one of the lake's cruise boats. It's a civilised and cultural affair that showcases some of the world's best music in one of the world's most romantic destinations. (www.montreuxjazz.com)

Music festivals: the best of the rest - Telegraph.co.uk

CLAUDE NOBS NAMED MIDEM 2007 PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Paris, 3 November 2006 � MIDEM today announces that Claude Nobs, Founder & CEO of the world-renowned Montreux Jazz Festival, will be honoured with the MIDEM Personality of the Year Award. Claude Nobs, will receive the trophy during a gala dinner for industry VIP executives at MIDEM in Cannes on Monday, 22 January 2007.

�For over 40 years music has been at the heart of Claude Nobs� life,� says MIDEM Director Dominique Leguern. �His enthusiasm and exceptional love of all types of music have forged the Montreux Jazz Festival not only into a unique event, but also into one of the world�s most culturally diverse. His generosity and talent have given audiences the privilege to see many of the world�s greatest artists perform live at Montreux.�

�I am very honoured to have been chosen as MIDEM Personality of the Year and would like to share this trophy with the musicians, record labels, producers and of course the public who have had confidence in me for the past 40 years,� comments Claude Nobs.

A passionate lover of jazz, Claude Nobs began his career as an accountant for the Montreux Office de Tourisme where he also worked on promoting tourism for the town.

In the �60s, during a trip to New York, Claude Nobs met Nesuhi Ertegun, who was the President of Atlantic Records at that time. Ertegun introduced him to the singer Roberta Flack, who he immediately invited to perform at the Rose d�Or in Montreux.

Having successfully persuaded Aretha Franklin to sing for the first time in Europe, Claude Nobs founded the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1967. The initial three-day event was an overnight hit and quickly became the international meeting place for jazz-lovers from around the world.

In 1973, Claude Nobs was named International Director for WEA, which grouped the American record labels Warner, Elektra and Atlantic. In 1977, the festival ran for 23 days and proposed an eclectic line-up of music. Artists from an array of musical trends performed: jazz geniuses (Sonny Rollins, Quincy Jones, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis), rock gurus (Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa, The Pretenders) as well as international celebrities Joao Gilberto, Tom Jobim, Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash, Van Morrison, B.B. King, Ray Charles, etc�.

In addition to the Montreux Jazz Festival, Claude Nobs opened a company specialising in European tours for international artists. For over ten years he coordinated tours for artists including: The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, AC/DC, Neil Young, Paul Simon, Bette Midler, etc�. He also worked for Atari, Warner Communications and contributed to the launch of numerous Warner Music artists who emerged on the Montreux Jazz Festival stage. In 2001 he stepped down as a full-time Warner Music employee.

In the �90s, Claude Nobs shared the directorship of the Montreux Jazz Festival with the renowned producer and musician Quincy Jones. Today the festival continues to attract 250,000 music fans each year.

In December 2006, Claude Nobs will receive the French cultural award �Commandeur dans l�Ordre des Arts et des Lettres� (�Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters�).

The MIDEM Personality of the Year Award was created in 1989 to pay tribute to exceptional careers and contributions to the international music industry. Previous recipients include Nesuhi Ertegun, former President of the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry), producer and musician Quincy Jones, Jan Timmer, President of Philips, Jean-Loup Tournier, Chairman of the Board of French copyright society SACEM, Arista President Clive Davis, Atlantic Records founder and co-chairman Ahmet Ertegun, Frances Preston, President and CEO of BMI, noted composer and producer David Foster, William H. Roedy, President of MTV Networks International and Chairman of MTV Networks Europe, Bruce Lundvall, President EMI Music, Jazz and Classics, U.S. and Live 8 co-producers Sir Bob Geldof, Harvey Goldsmith CBE and John Kennedy OBE.

For more information concerning MIDEM, The World�s Music Market please go to http://www.midem.com

Notes :
Reed MIDEM is a leading organiser of professional international tradeshows. Reed MIDEM events, which take place in Cannes, France, have established themselves as key dates in professional diaries. The company hosts MIPDOC, MIPTV, MIPCOM JUNIOR, MIPCOM and MILIA for the television and multimedia industries, MIDEM for music professionals and MIPIM and MAPIC for the property sector and GLOBAL CITY for urban management specialists.

Reed MIDEM is a division of Reed Exhibitions, the world leader in the organisation of some 460 public exhibitions and professional tradeshows in 38 countries.

MIDEM, The World�s Music Market, is held every January in Cannes, France. MIDEM is the largest international gathering of music-related industry professionals, who come together to conduct business, develop international relations and keep abreast of the latest industry developments.

CNN - Revealed is with Claude Nobs as he prepares for this year's festival, which includes a fitting send-off for the King of Blues.

SHOW TIMES

Saturday August 12th - 13h30 and 19h30
Sunday August 13th - 09h30, 15h30 and 20h30
Monday August 14th - 15h30 and 19h30

All times CET

You can also catch it any time on the CNN website: www.cnn.com/revealed

Claude Nobs' blog...