Long Distance Call: "The Montreux Years" Series Continues in September with Marianne Faithfull and Muddy Waters Volumes

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Last week, the 55th Montreux Jazz Festival wrapped up in Switzerland. Started in 1967 by Claude Nobs, Geo Voumard and Rene Langel, the yearly festival was at first true to its name and focused exclusively on jazz performers. However, over the years, it has grown to encompass nearly all types of music and has seen a wide range of performers including Etta James, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Lauren Hill, Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, James Brown, Kendrick Lamar, Leonard Cohen, Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis, Nina Simone, and many more. It has also proven to be a popular recording spot with nearly 100 albums documenting the numerous concerts. Adding to that album legacy, earlier this year BMG kicked off The Montreux Years series, featuring volumes devoted to an artists' time at Montreux. The first two featured Nina Simone and Etta James. Now, the next two volumes have been announced and are devoted to Marianne Faithfull and Muddy Waters. The Faithfull entry spans concerts from 1995 to 2009 while the Waters album chronicles shows from 1972 to 1977. Both will be available in CD and 2-LP editions as well as digitally. They are each due on September 17.

As the press release further explains:

The Montreux Years embodies 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 this collection. Mastering has been performed by Tony Cousins at London's iconic Metropolis Studios, incorporating MQA to capture the original sound of these special concerts. Similar to the first albums in the series, featuring Nina Simone and Etta James, the Marianne Faithfull and Muddy Waters releases will be accompanied by exclusive liner notes and previously unseen photography.

Instantly recognizable with her raw, varied vocal talents and tangible charisma, Marianne Faithfull has been a long-time friend of the Montreux Jazz Festival, appearing five times over a nearly 15-year period: 1995, 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2009. The first live album of Faithfull in over 10 years, Marianne Faithfull: The Montreux Years opens with an enchanting rendition of Van Morrison's "Madame George," recorded live at Auditorium Stravinski on July 10, 1995, where Faithfull's powerful range and unfaltering dynamism was instantly apparent.

The singer's fans can immerse themselves in these unique recordings, which include several songs from her celebrated album Broken English, such as an electrifying, guitar-heavy performance of the titular track "Broken English," the soaring "Guilt," and John Lennon's rousing anthem "Working Class Hero." Meanwhile, the haunting sensitivity of "Strange Weather," recorded live at Casino Barrière on July 6, 2005, captures the bottomless depths of Faithfull's brutal and ragged beauty.

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An unstoppable blues colossus, the father of Chicago blues, Muddy Waters, was the hot ticket during his run of appearances at the Montreux Jazz Festival in the 1970s. Already a cultural and musical force to behold when Nobs first caught him live in 1965, Waters found critical acclaim outside of the U.S., sparking the blues revival in the U.K. and finding a clamoring crowd in Montreux.

The Montreux Years brings together an impressive repertoire of Waters' blues classics, from the chugging standard "Mannish Boy" and genre defining "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" to the stripped-back majesty of "Rosalie," all oozing with effortless style and Delta swagger.

Thierry Amsallem, Claude Nobs' Universal Legatee, Chair/CEO of Montreux Sounds and Chair of Claude Nobs Foundation, says: "These latest additions to The Montreux Years series celebrate Claude's legacy of bringing together brilliant, era-defining artists, creating unique, unforgettable events."

Mathieu Jaton, CEO of the Montreux Jazz Festival, adds: "Muddy Waters and Marianne Faithfull have both made indelible marks on the Montreux Jazz Festival and these releases will immortalize their iconic performances for fans both new and old in stunning quality."

Both the Marianne Faithfull and Muddy Waters volumes of The Montreux Years hit stores on September 17. We've got the track listings and preorder links below if you'd like to revisit either artists' performances at the venerable music festival.

Marianne Faithfull, Marianne Faithfull: The Montreux Years (BMG, 2021)

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

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