Montreux Jazz Festival 2010, by Britto
Montreux, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The new Montreux Jazz Festival poster is out, with Romero Britto, Brazilian neo-pop artist providing the bright and lively artwork. This is not Britto’s first work for the Festival: some will remember that he did the poster work for the 33rd Montreux Festival in 1999.
His work is energetic, lively and fresh, defined by a harmonious use of colour and space. His style is on the edge between the directness of marketing and the subtlety of fine art. Think of Paul Klee with a spray can.
Paleo Music Festival, near Nyon, Switzerland, a sea of music-lovers
Montreux, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The Lake Geneva region’s musical summer is well underway, good for music-lovers, a bit less so for drivers. If you’re on the road between Geneva and Lausanne in the coming week, check the news for traffic jams around Nyon. Festival-goers are urged to use public transport, made easy for them: the CFF rail company is putting on extra trains and reducing ticket prices. The last train for Geneva leaves at 03:00 and for Lausanne-Montreux at 03:30. Shuttles and extra trains between the Nyon train station and the festival operate at 10-minute intervals.
The festival sold out, all 200,000 tickets, in two hours when sales opened in April. An additional 1,000 tickets a day go on sale online at the festival site, to discourage black market ticket sales.
GenevaLunch will be covering the festival daily, bringing you news and reviews.
Montreux closes on a happy note, offers listeners online treats
Read more…
- Melody Gardot, cool incarnate – Photo courtesy of Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Melody Gardot is either an old soul hiding out in a young woman’s body, or an incredibly aloof, and self-assured performer, or both.
The party's over for this year - Photo ©Jared and Gabriela Bloch
Montreux, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Seventeen July, the final day for GenevaLunch at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and I think I finally figured it out.
Having driven to Montreux from Geneva three days, and taken the train a fourth day, I would opt for public transportation next year. Festival parking was well organized (as previously noted) but really by the time you negotiate Lausanne traffic, find parking, walk or bus it to the Convention Center, and then do the same in reverse, a good nap on the train looks mighty appealing.
Funky business at MJF - Photo ©Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – There was a time warp in Montreux last night that took me back to the days when I used to sing in front of the mirror waiting for the moment when I could go dancing with the big girls, on a “Ladies Night” because even then I knew, “A Woman Needs Love” and it is easy to get lost in “Boogie Wonderland.”
These are some of the dance and R&B anthems of the late 70s and 80s performed to a packed auditorium at the Montreux Jazz festival last night, 16 July.
King Solomon holds forth - photo courtesy of Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Solomon Burke or King Solomon as he would have it, cut a large figure at first glance both literally and figuratively last night at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Unfortunately for the audience, neither the oversized crown at centre stage, nor the red sequin dress-clad performers in his lineup were able to translate a string of doo wops and medleys into a royal fest.
Blind Boys of Alabama at Stravinsky Hall- Photo courtesy of Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – “We don’t have much time, so we’re not going to do a lot of talkin’, we’re gonna do a lot of singin’,” Jimmy Carter proclaimed Tuesday night (14 July) in Montreux.
This call to spirituality came not from the Nobel Peace Laureate, though it well could have, but from five-time Grammy award winners the Blind Boys of Alabama, as they warmed up the audience last night at the Jazz Festival. Carter quickly allayed any doubts as to the abilities of the mostly blind and mature-aged entourage, telling the crowd, “The Blind Boys of Alabama don’t like conservative audiences.”
Boo Boo Davis playing the harp - Photo courtesy of Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – My second night at Montreux began with a solid dose of unadulterated Mississippi blues courtesy of Boo Boo Davis and his band members, John Gerritse and Jan Mittendorp.
Davis and company are straightforward in the delivery of the goods, with not a lot of fanfare, and that’s ok. The quality lament of Davis’ blues harp playing together with Mittendorp’s slide guitar backing was a sweet sound indeed inside Stravinsky Hall.
Ed. note: See the GenevaLunch coverage of the 2009 Montreux Jazz Festival, including the complete collection of Jared Bloch’s reviews – George Duke, George Benson, Rachelle Ferrell and more!
Mise en Scene for the Montreux Jazz Festival - photo by Jared Bloch
Watching the lake vista unfold in front of us, I think, the festival setting truly is spectacular.
After getting stranded in Montreux early Tuesday morning – beware of the early morning public transport gap between 01:08 and 05:14 – I decided to try driving. The verdict?
George Duke warms up for the evening with a performance for RSR - photo by Jared Bloch
Montreux, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - “Am I the only funk-loving person for whom George Duke is not a household name?” This was my last thought as I wandered home at 06:00 this morning, following Duke’s all-night jam session at the Montreux Jazz Festival.
Duke’s introduction by Quincy Jones including “You are gonna get your mind blown once again by this artist,” and “God leaves his hand on the shoulder of some artists longer than others . . .” should have been a clue as to the mind-bending fusion of jazz, R&B, soul and funk that Duke was about to unleash on the ready and willing crowd at Stravinsky Hall in Montreux last night.
Montreux, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Montreux favorite son George Benson showed this town why his music still inspires hip gyrations after so many performances.
Montreux crowd pleaser, George Benson - photo courtesy of Montreux Jazz Festival
The Crowd in Stravinsky Hall - Photo courtesy of Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - If Rachelle Ferrell’s musical expressiveness is shocking, this is a good thing.
Ferrell, a Montreux veteran, treated the audience to her awesome vocal range and facial acrobatics as she warmed the crowd up by running her rich voice up and down the word M-O-N-T-R-E-U-X.
Montreux Jazz Festival 2009
Lake Geneva region (GenevaLunch) – It’s a gorgeous summer day, the temperature is sitting around 27 degrees and I am dreaming of jumping in the bracing waters of Lake Geneva as I skirt the shoreline on the train from Geneva to Montreux.
I am headed to the Montreux Jazz Festival with great anticipation, but little expectation as I am largely unfamiliar with the music of the lineup this evening. This will be my first of three or four forays into the musical smorgasborg that is Montreux the first two weeks of July each year.
Road to Montreux
In addition to well known acts including George Benson, The Blind Boys of Alabama, the Earth Wind & Fire Experience, John Fogerty and Seal, I will be sampling the musical talent present at the festival, including free concerts staged in Montreux’s Parc de Vernex each afternoon.
If you haven’t been able to steal away this year to Montreux, or just want to see more of what’s on hand, check out GenevaLunch for updates through Friday July 17th.
Fête du Bois, Lausanne school parade
Geneva, Lausanne and Montreux, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Geneva and most international schools in the area finished the 2008-09 school year 26 June, last Friday, but canton Vaud children are still braving hot days for their last week of school, which finishes Friday 3 July.
Lausanne’s primary schools Wednesday 1 July celebrated the end of the year with their traditional Fête du Bois parade through the city, to the cheers of parents.
Images: reproduced with permission, celestialpilgrim (see his complete parade collection on flickr). Click to view larger.
Summer music festivals begin
Summer now begins in earnest, by popular acclamation, in the Lake Geneva region with city music and arts festivals.
Montreux Jazz Festival
The Montreux Jazz Festival opens Friday 3 July. Expect long lines at the A9 autoroute entrances to Montreux, and if you’re going to the festival from another town, seriously consider taking the train. The festival’s new magazine is out, with day by day highlights. The free music in the streets pulls in crowds so prepare to mingle! [Ed. note: GenevaLunch articles on the Montreux Jazz festival are here. We'll be reviewing the festival for you, starting next week]
Title: Montreux Jazz Festival
Location: Montreux, Vaud
Link out: Click here
Description: Founded by Claude Nobs in 1967, over the years the Montreux Jazz Festival has become an unmissable event for music fans in Switzerland and around the world.
The 2009 festival promises another fun week of music and more in Montreux.
Start Date: 03 Jul 2009
End Date: 18 Jul 2009
Orquestra da bomba do Hemeterio, Brazil
Montreux, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The popular Brazilian night at the Montreux Jazz Festival will be open to all this year, festival organizers announced 27 May as they unveiled the free festival programme. The Carnival Olinda-Recife will be at the centre of Brazilian night 11 July but the party will spill onto the streets of Montreux as the evening unfolds, to create a very carioca atmosphere in the lakeside city.
Music in the Park and the Montreux Jazz Café will also open to non-ticket holders that day.
Montreux, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The new Montreux Jazz Festival poster is out, designed by award-winning illustrator Tomi Ungerer, possibly best known for his children’s books but also famous for his advertising work.
The festival also announced the dates for the 2009 programme: 3-18 July.
