Since 1967, the annual Montreux Jazz Festival has brought fans to Switzerland to enjoy world-class music from top-tier artists.  Over the years, the festival’s purview has expanded beyond pure jazz; Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and Elton John have all played there as well as Miles Davis, Bill Evans, and Herb Alpert.  Numerous concert albums have been recorded at Montreux, among them sets from Alice Cooper, Carlos Santana and Wayne Shorter, Ella Fitzgerald, and Chick Corea.  Now, BMG is adding to that illustrious roster with a new series of live releases, The Montreux Years.  The first volumes, due on May 28 in multiple formats including 2-LP, 2-CD, and digital/streaming iterations, will feature two legendary vocalists who fused jazz with soul and R&B: Nina Simone (1933-2003) and Etta James (1938-2012).  The Montreux Years releases have been mastered by Tony Cousins at London’s Metropolis Studios using MQA to recapture the sound of the original shows.  Every collection in the series will include liner notes and previously unpublished photographs.

Nina Simone first took the festival stage on June 16, 1968 at the second edition.  Nina Simone: The Montreux Years spotlights all five of her performances at Montreux (1968, 1976, 1981, 1987, and 1990).  While the first disc presents a composite show drawn from the various years, the second presents her landmark 1968 concert in full for the very first time.  The material is typically eclectic for Simone – and always electric.  Songs heard on the two CDs or LPs include Janis Ian’s “Stars,” Rodgers and Hart’s “Little Girl Blue,” the Hair medley “Ain’t Got No/I Got Life,” The Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody,” Jacques Brel’s “Ne Me Quitte Pas,” Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry,” and her final ever Montreux encore, Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn’s “My Baby Cares Just for Me.”

Etta James was another frequent visitor to the Montreux stage.  Her volume of The Montreux Years culls performances from her concerts in 1975, 1977, 1978, 1989, 1990 and 1993.  Like Simone, there was no song that James couldn’t make her own with grit and guts.  Among the songs featured are her Muscle Shoals hit “Tell Mama” (James’ highest-charting pop record), the top five R&B smash “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” (which she co-wrote), and her smoldering reinvention of Harry Warren and Mack Gordon’s romantic standard “At Last.”  The second disc showcases highlights from James’ 1975 Montreux debut; it also was the singer’s first European concert.

BMG promises that further volumes of The Montreux Years will be announced soon; in the meantime, these two great women of song will undoubtedly prove a tough act to follow.  Look for Nina Simone and Etta James’ inaugural entries in the series on May 28.  You’ll find the track listings and pre-order links below!

Nina Simone: The Montreux Years (BMG, 2021)

2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Side A

1. Someone To Watch Over Me (Intro) °
2. Backlash Blues †
3. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free †
4. See-Line Woman *

Side B

1. Little Girl Blue (Pt 1 and 2) †
2. Don’t Smoke In The Bed *
3. Stars †
4. What Little Moonlight Can Do *

Side C

1. African Mailman †
2. Just In Time **
3. Four Women *
4. No Woman No Cry *

Side D

1. Liberian Calypso *
2. Ne Me Quitte Pas *
3. Montreux Blues ‡
4. My Baby Just Cares For Me *

† Recorded live at Casino Montreux 3 July 1976
‡ Recorded live at Casino Montreux 19 July 1981
° Recorded live at Casino Montreux 10 July 1987
* Recorded live at Casino Montreux 13 July 1990
** Recorded live at Casino Kursaal 16 June 1968

Nina Simone: The Montreux Years

2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

CD 1

1. Someone To Watch Over Me (Intro) °
2. Backlash Blues †
3. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free †
4. See-Line Woman *
5. Little Girl Blue (Pt 1 and 2) †
6. Don’t Smoke In Bed *
7. Stars †
8. What A Little Moonlight Can Do *
9. African Mailman †
10. Four Women *
11. No Woman No Cry *
12. Liberian Calypso *
13. Ne Me Quitte Pas *
14. Montreux Blues ‡
15. My Baby Just Cares for Me *

CD 2

1. Intro
2. Go To Hell
3. Just In Time
4. When I Was A Young Girl
5. Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
6. Ne Me Quitte Pas
7. To Love Somebody
8. Backlash Blues
9. The House Of The Rising Sun
10. See-Line Woman
11. Please Read Me
12. Ain’t Got No/I Got Life
13. Gin House Blues
14. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free

All tracks recorded live at Casino Kursaal 16th June 1968

Etta James: The Montreux Years (BMG, 2021)

2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Side One

1. Breakin’ Up Somebody’s Home *
2. I Got The Will •
3. I’d Rather Go Blind ‡
4. A Lover Is Forever †

Side Two

1. Damn Your Eyes •
2. Tell Mama ‡
3. Running And Hiding Blues *
4. Something’s Got A Hold On Me •

Side Three

1. Beware †
2. Come To Mama *
3. Medley: At Last / Trust In Me / Sunday Kind Of Love •

Side Four

1. I Sing The Blues For You †
2. Baby What You Want Me To Do (Encore) °

* Recorded live at Casino Montreux 18 July 1990
• Recorded live at Casino Montreux 12 July 1989
† Recorded live at Auditorium Stravinski 15 July 1993
‡ Recorded live at Casino Montreux 9 July 1977
° Recorded live at Casino Montreux 8 July 1978

Etta James: The Montreux Years

2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

CD 1

1. Breakin’ Up Somebody’s Home *
2. I Got The Will •
3. A Lover Is Forever †
4. Damn Your Eyes •
5. Tell Mama ‡
6. Running And Hiding Blues *
7. Something’s Got A Hold On Me •
8. Beware †
9. Come To Mama *
10. Medley: At Last / Trust In Me / Sunday Kind Of Love •
11. I Sing The Blues For You †
12. Baby What You Want Me To Do (Encore) °

CD 2 (All tracks recorded live at Casino Montreux 11th July 1975)

1. Respect Yourself
2. Drown in My Own Tears
3. W-O-M-A-N
4. Dust My Broom
5. I’d Rather Go Blind
6. All The Way Down
7. Baby What Do You Want Me To Do
8. Rock Me Baby
9. Stormy Monday

* Recorded live at Casino Montreux 18 July 1990
• Recorded live at Casino Montreux 12 July 1989
† Recorded live at Auditorium Stravinski 15 July 1993
‡ Recorded live at Casino Montreux 9 July 1977
° Recorded live at Casino Montreux 8 July 1978