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 now, 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 2022

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.

For more than five decades, John McLaughlin has deployed his peerless guitar technique, compositional gifts, and imagination in service of a deeply personal higher calling, forging a vast legacy unmatched in improvised music. Now as the world reels from the toll of the ongoing viral-induced global lockdown, McLaughlin reflects on both the perils and potential of this challenging moment with LIBERATION TIME.

Characterised by both joy and reflection, LIBERATION TIME finds McLaughlin harnessing his frustrations and redirecting that energy. “The result,” he explains in a candid liner note, “was an explosion of music in my mind.”

Unusual for McLaughlin’s recent projects, LIBERATION TIME is not the work of one fixed ensemble. With physical proximity no longer a prerequisite, McLaughlin drew upon decades of experience as a bandleader to select musicians best suited to each composition. “That is a choice that can only be made correctly if you know how the musicians play,” he explains. “Not just how well they play technically, but how they play intuitively. Only then can you make the right decisions.”

‘As the Spirit Sings’ introduces the album by contrasting churning rhythmic tension (stoked by drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and bassist Sam Burgess) with McLaughlin’s soaring guitar figure - all underpinned by Gary Husband’s subtle, expansive piano. Knotty post-bop figures form the basis of ‘Right Here, Right Now, Right On’ one of the most jazz-inflected performances McLaughlin has laid down in some time, featuring Nicolas Viccaro (drums), Jerome Regard (bass), Julian Siegel (tenor saxophone), and Oz Ezzeldin (piano).

It is impossible to ignore the profound brotherhood that exists between the members of 4th Dimension - McLaughlin’s current ensemble, which includes Husband along with Etienne Mbappe (bass) and Ranjit Barot (drums). They are featured on the soulful ‘Lockdown Blues’, a playful refraction examination of blues tropes first released last summer to benefit the Jazz Foundation of America.

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.

https://www.johnmclaughlin.com/
https://www.montreuxjazzfestival.com/en/