Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG today announce the release of John McLaughlin’s live performance of El Hombre Que Sabià from the 2016 Montreux Jazz Festival. The release appears on the brand-new record ‘John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years’ to be released on Friday, March 4, 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.
Fans of the jazz fusion pioneer can immersive 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 the brand new video release El Hombre Que Sabià 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.”
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, March 4, ‘John McLaughlin: The Montreux Years’ is the fifth installment 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)
CD TRACKLISTING
1. Radio Activity (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 1984)
2. Nostalgia (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 1984)
3. Acid Jazz (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1998)
4. David (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 1987)
5. Sing Me Softly of the Blues (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 1995)
6. Florianapolis (Live - Montreux Jazz Festival 1987)
7. El Hombre Que Sabià (Live – Montreux Jazz Festival 2016)
