Following amazing releases featuring Etta James, Muddy Waters, Marianne Faithfull, and Nina Simone, Montreux Jazz Festival along with BMG announces the next “The Montreux Years” Installment, “John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years”…
Available for pre-order now on heavyweight vinyl, CD, and streaming services, in HD audio (MQA).
The following press release is courtesy of Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG:
‘JOHN McLAUGHLIN: THE MONTREUX YEARS’
THE MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL & BMG ANNOUNCE THE NEXT RELEASE OF ‘THE MONTREUX YEARS’ SERIES
CURATED & COMPILED BY JOHN McLAUGHLIN
RELIVE THE GRAMMY AWARD WINNER’S PHENOMENAL PERFORMANCES AT MONTREUX BETWEEN 1978 & 2016
IN HD MASTERED AUDIO
PRE-ORDER ‘JOHN MCLAUGHLIN: THE MONTREUX YEARS’ HERE
London 19 January 2022 – Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG today announce the next instalment in The Montreux Years series with “John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years”, to be released on Friday, 04 March 2022. Curated and compiled by John McLaughlin, the album is a collection of his finest performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival between 1978 and 2016. Beautifully restored and mastered, the recording will be available in multi-format configurations, including superior audiophile heavy weight vinyl, CD and on streaming services, in superlative HD audio.
Ranked in Rolling Stones magazine’s list of ‘100 Greatest Guitar Players of All Time’, John McLaughlin became a long-time friend of the Montreux Jazz Festival, having played at the iconic Swiss festival many times. The performances in this new collection are curated from six shows between 1978 to 2016 with the various ensembles of ‘The Mahavishnu Orchestra’, ‘The Heart Of Things’, ‘The Free Spirits’, ‘The 4th Dimension’ and his fellow virtuoso and close friend Paco de Lucia. Encapsulating McLaughlin’s time at the festival, “John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years” opens with the 1984 track Radio Activity by the Mahavishnu Orchestra, which McLaughlin reformed in the 80’s for the release of the album “Mahavishnu”.
Fans of the jazz fusion pioneer can immerse themselves in the superb and classic material that defined McLaughlin’s career, which includes the track Acid Jazz from the album “The Heart of Things”. Further exploring McLaughlin’s impressive repertoire, “John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years” includes the tracks Sing Me Softly Of The Blues from 1994’s “After the Rain” and El Hombre Que Sabia from McLaughlin’s studio album “Black Light”.
John McLaughlin: “To speak about The Montreux Jazz Festival brings back so many wonderful memories. But since my association goes back to 1971, we are looking at 50 years of history!
Whether it’s the different incarnations of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Shakti, The One Truth Band, The Free Spirits, The Heart of Things, Carlos Santana or with the late great Paco de Lucia, the list goes on and on. Not only all my musical performances at Montreux, but all my other visits to see my dear friend Claude Nobs the founder, my friends of the festival, join jam sessions, go hiking in the fabulous countryside around that lovely town. Montreux is a big part of my life’s musical and personal history and to share this selection of my performances on this recording makes me truly happy.”
As one of the greatest guitar players in music history, John McLaughlin has been cited a major influence on many 70’s and 80’s artists, including the likes of Steve Morse, Eric Johnson, Mike Stern and more. In 2018 McLaughlin won a Grammy for Best Improvised Jazz Solo, for his solo on Miles Beyond from his album “Live at Ronnie Scott’s”. With a German tour scheduled for March 2022, McLaughlin remains one of music’s greatest musicians and the release “John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years” is a testament to his legacy.
Launched in 2021, ‘The Montreux Years’ is the embodiment of the spirit of the Montreux Jazz Festival and the legacy of its much-loved founder, Claude Nobs. Nobs refused to compromise on quality or settle for anything other than the best and this ethos lives on in the superb quality of the recordings compiled in ‘The Montreux Years’. Mastering has been performed by Tony Cousins at London’s iconic Metropolis Studios, incorporating MQA to capture the original sound of the special live performances. Like previous releases of the series “John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years”, will be accompanied by exclusive liner notes by McLaughlin himself and previously unseen photography.
Available on pre-order now and released on Friday 04 March, ‘John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years’ is the fifth instalment of The Montreux Years series, which began with musical titans Nina Simone and Etta James, followed by Marianne Faithfull and Muddy Waters. Having received critical acclaim worldwide, ‘Nina Simone: The Montreux Years’, debuted at #1 on the UK Official Jazz & Blues Chart in 2021 and was hailed by the likes of the New York Times and JazzFM Albums of the Year.
LP TRACKLISTING
Side A
- Radio Activity (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 1984)
- Friendship (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 1978)
Side B
- Nostalgia (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 1984)
- Acid Jazz (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 1998)
Side C
- David (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 1987)
- Florianapolis (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 1987)
Side D
- Sing Me Softly of the Blues (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 1995)
- El Hombre Que Sabià (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 2016)
CD TRACKLISTING
- Radio Activity (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 1984)
- Nostalgia (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 1984)
- Acid Jazz (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 1998)
- David (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 1987)
- Sing Me Softly of the Blues (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 1995)
- Florianapolis (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 1987)
- El Hombre Que Sabià (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 2016)
JOHN McLAUGHLIN TOUR 2021
03.03.22 Schwetzingen, Wollfabrik
05.03.22 Neunkirchen/Saar, Neue Gablasehalle
07.03.22 Hannover, Theatre Am Aegi
08.03.22 Dresden, Alter Schlachthof
11.03.22 Dortmund, Konzerthaus
13.03.22 BASEL, CH, Volkshaus
15.03.22 Bielefeld, Rudolf-Oetker-Halle
16.03.22 Bremem, Die Glocke
17.03.22 Berlin, Admiralspalast
19.03.22 Ludwigshafen, Feierbendhaus
21.03.22 Munchen, Prinzregententheater
All Concerts are subject to Local Covid Restrictions that may apply and are out of the Artist and Promoters control
ABOUT MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL
Montreux Jazz Festival is a renowned music festival created by Claude Nobs and held annually in Montreux, Switzerland across two weeks in July. Now in its 55th year, the festival draws 250,000 music lovers from all across the world to the Lake Geneva shoreline. Montreux Jazz Festival celebrates the industry’s emerging and contemporary acts, whilst paying homage to music’s legendary acts. Originally a pure jazz festival since inception in 1967, Montreux began showcasing other styles of music throughout the decades and today presents artists from across every genre imaginable. Artists that have graced the stage of Montreux include Etta James, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Ms Lauren Hill, Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, James Brown, Kendrick Lamar, Leonard Cohen, Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis, Nina Simone and many more. Mathieu Jaton serves as CEO of Montreux Jazz Festival after taking over the festival in 2013.
ABOUT BMG
BMG is the new model music company founded by Bertelsmann in 2008 as a direct response to the challenges of music’s digital revolution. Key to its innovative approach is the fact it represents the traditionally separate music publishing and recording rights off the same state-of-the-art platform internationally. BMG is already the world’s fourth biggest music publisher and the first new global player in the recordings business in decades. BMG’s pitch is unique – a relentless focus on fairness and transparency and service to its artist and songwriter clients. BMG’s 19 offices across 12 core music markets now represent over 3m songs and recordings, including the catalogues of Chrysalis, Bug, Virgin, Mute, Sanctuary, Primary Wave and Talpa Music, as well as literally thousands of artists and songwriters attracted by its fresh approach. BMG is owned by international media, services and education company Bertelsmann, which also includes the broadcaster RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the magazine publisher Gruner + Jahr, the service provider Arvato, the Bertelsmann Printing Group, the Bertelsmann Education Group, and Bertelsmann Investments, an international network of funds. With its multi-platform perspective, integrated technology platform and commitment to help artists maximize their income, BMG aims to be the best company in music to do business with. www.bmg.com
ABOUT MQA
Using pioneering scientific research into how people hear, MQA captures the sound of the original performance. The MQA file is fully authenticated, backward compatible, and small enough to stream, so you can play MQA on any device. MQA powers award-winning products and services worldwide with unmatched efficiency, which also makes it the most sustainable solution for the entertainment industry. Partnerships span recorded music, video, radio, broadcast and livestreaming. Wherever there is audio, MQA delivers the best sound. MQA is a UK-based private company. For more information visit: www.mqa.co.uk
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