To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the passing of the one and only Claude Nobs, we have decided to do a series of four articles with a timeline of his many achievements.
Nobs did not just create and manage the world’s greatest music festival. He also influenced and had a huge positive impact on many artists. Appearing at the festival renewed their careers, and allowed many different artists to express themselves anew!
Here we will explore the years 1967 - 1982, and Nob’s influence
Claude Nobs, a visionary
Claude Nobs was a visionary who changed the landscape of music festivals by creating the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1967. The festival started small, with a budget of only 10,000 francs, with the performances of the American jazz pianists Charles Lloyd and Keith Jarrett.
It quickly gained a reputation for its eclectic line-up and idyllic location on the shores of Lake Geneva.
Gems every year!
In 1968, the jazz pianist Bill Evans, recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival.
The following year, the album won the 1969’s Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.
The third edition, "Swiss Movement," was recorded in 1969 at the Montreux Jazz Festival and featured jazz pianist Les McCann and saxophonist Eddie Harris.
The album's success helped popularize jazz and establish it as a mainstream genre.
History was made as it became the first live album in jazz history to sell over a million copies.
The great Santana
The 1970s edition of the festival was invaded by the "flower power" generation as it hosted Santana for the first time, right after their performance at Woodstock the year before.
One of the most memorable moments in the history of the festival was in 1971 when the British rock band Deep Purple wrote and recorded the hit song "Smoke on the Water” in Montreux. The lyrics recount when the group was in Montreux recording an album at the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, part of the Montreux Casino.
A determined and persuasive/convincing man
The casino caught fire, however, during a concert by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, and although there were no major injuries, the fire destroyed the entire casino complex.
Despite the setback, he managed to keep the festival going and even expanded it to include outdoor concerts and film screenings, demonstrating Nobs' resilience and dedication to the festival.
That same year, Claude Nobs persuaded Aretha Franklin to perform at the festival by offering her a box of Swiss chocolates. Nobs was also influential in helping the Rolling Stones record their album "Exile on Main St” at the festival.
In 1972 the festival started including a broader range of venues and events, such as outdoor concerts and film screenings, featuring a performance of the legendary American Saxophonist Stan Getz.
Legendary performances
In 1973 Miles Davis made his first appearance at the festival, which is considered one of the most iconic and ground-breaking in the Festival’s history.
He also recorded the album “Miles Davis at Montreux” Disc 1 considered a classic of the jazz fusion genre and cemented the Festival's reputation as a hub of innovation and experimentation.
In 1974, Van Morrison delivered a legendary performance that has since become one of the highlights of his career (Nobs described him as a difficult person).
Two of the most memorable moments of Morrison's Montreux performance were:
- his rendition of "Listen to the Lion," a hypnotic and emotionally powerful song;
- his cover of “Since I Fell for You” by the pianist and vocalist Buddy Johnson.
Later on, in addition to live performances, the festival offered workshops and master classes for aspiring musicians, providing a unique opportunity for young musicians to learn from some of the best in the business.
Concerning the recordings, many of the performances at the 1975 Festival were recorded and later released as live albums, including Etta James' Live at Montreux 1975 and Deep Purple's Made in Europe. These recordings helped spread the influence of the festival and the performers globally.
The Festival awarded the Golden Rose of Montreux to the best musical and artistic performances, strengthening its reputation.
Nina Simone: A great woman
In 1976 the Festival of Montreux was marked by Nina Simone’s performance.
Nina Simone's life in 1976 was marked by personal and professional struggles, including divorce from her husband and long-time manager Andrew Stroud, financial difficulties, and health issues.
In an effort to find a new sense of purpose/direction, she accepted an invitation from the Liberian government to promote their culture and arts. During that period, she wasn’t actively performing or touring, so in order to regain her career and have more exposure she accepted to perform at the Festival. Additionally, Simone, was a fan of it and its founder Claude Nobs, as she previously attended as a guest.
At concerts, Nina not only held herself to high standards but also expected her audience to behave in a manner she deemed acceptable. Having grown up attending classical concerts, Nina refused to tolerate anyone talking or not paying attention at her shows, and would often stop playing to scold them or give them one of her trademark thousand-yard stares, as we can see at this “Live at Montreux 1976” performance.
In 1977, Nobs helped to organize a concert in support of Amnesty International, which featured performances by artists such as Joan Baez, Jackson Browne, and Graham Nash.
Concerts recorded in public/ Recorded live concerts
Many of the performances at the 1978 festival were recorded and later released as live albums, such as Dizzy Gillespie's "Digital at Montreux, 1980" and Chick Corea's "The Mad Hatter".
The 13th edition of the festival in 1979 was Ella Fitzgerald’s moment. She released a live album, “ A Perfect Match”, which later won a Grammy for best Jazz vocal performance.
Later on, Marvin Gaye performed at the 1980 Montreux Jazz Festival.
As he was emerging from a turbulent period, this performance was seen as a comeback and after watching other concert recordings at Claude Nob’s house, he was down to be filmed on stage.
It was considered one of the most iconic moments in the festival’s history, as this video shows (and this, too).
In 1981 the Father of Funk, James Brown, performed an electrifying live show at the Festival. His appearance at this edition is undoubtedly one of his finest concerts, featuring classic versions of "It's A Man's Man's Man's World”.
That year would also mark Ella Fitzgerald’s last appearance at the festival.
A logo created by Tinguely
In 1982 the logo of the festival was born: Jean Tinguely, the Swiss sculptor and painter, designed the poster of the Montreux Jazz Festival with his distinctive hand lettering.
During The Crusaders ft Larry Graham’s jazz session, Funky Claude made it unique when he took to the stage with his mouth harmonica!
What we’ve appreciated the most, is the fact that Nobs created a creative and most importantly safe space for artists to freely express themselves, when at times, where in some cases they couldn’t even do it in their own country.
By the same author: Les coulisses du Montreux Jazz Festival : Rencontre avec David Elias Torreblanca by Naomi Tesfamicael
Photo credit : Anais Ahauariki
