Claude Nobs, co-founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival, died yesterday after a ski accident in Switzerland. He was 76.
Crazy inspiring guy, crazy life. “Funky Claude” did so much for music….
R.I.P. Claude Nobs
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Tag Archives: music
Montreux Jazz Festival 2011
The program of the Montreux Jazz Festival 2011 (July 1 – 16) was published yesterday, as usual quite a bunch of interesting concerts!
With my friend Manu, we have decided us for the July 13 night with two concerts:
- Quincy Jones presents: A Night of Global Gumbo with Alfredo Rodriguez Trio, Emily Bear, Esperanza Spalding, Nikki Yanofsky
- Tribute to Miles Davis (Musical Director : Marcus Miller) with Marcus Miller, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Sean Jones, Sean Rickman
Both concerts are quite promising, in two very different styles. We could reserved two very good places, centrally positioned, not far away from the scene. Ticket-price is really going up, outch… Anyway, still very happy to be able to go there again this year ;-)
Montreux Jazz Festival Foundation 2011, © Artwork Francis Baudevin
Moby – Wait for me / Ambient and Remixes
Just bought (for all in all 11 EUR, and 28 tracks!) and downloaded two new albums released by Moby and based on Wait for me, i.e. the Ambient and Remixes versions.
On May 17th, Moby will release ‘Wait For Me. Remixes!’, an album consisting of reworked versions of tracks from the critically acclaimed ‘Wait For Me’, released through Moby’s label ‘Little Idiot’ last year. Moby has enlisted some of dance music’s biggest names for the project including Tiesto, Laidback Luke, Gui Boratto, and Carl Cox
Really great, very simple buying-process on moby store. And the first time I see (finally!) some high-quality MP3 (320 Kbits)…
Moby Releases ‘iTunes Live from Montreal’
via moby’s blog
I like Moby very much, and much more live & accoustic!
While in the midst of an extensive critically acclaimed US tour in Fall 2009, Moby recorded an intimate live performance at the Montreal iTunes store to a captivated audience. […]
For this special recording Moby performed tracks from his most recent album ‘Wait For Me,’ as well as some other classics from previous albums, with a rare ‘stripped back‘ set consisting of just guitar, piano, violin and vocals. Joining him for this incredible and unique performance were the very talented lead vocalists from his tour – Kelli Scarr and Inyang Bassey.
Available exclusively via iTunes.
Rehearsal re-launch
As you may know, I am a “very-amateur” drummer. I have first learned and played percussion in a classical band. And then, played drums in a pop/blues band. Almost nobody knew us, excepted our friends and family, but hey, we had a lot of fun just to play together.
After a long break we have started to rehearse again together. And it brings a lot of pleasure and fun!
We have launched our rehearsals with some Sade and Womack & Womack tracks :-)
Cool.
Montreux Jazz Festival 2010
Romero Britto creates the poster of the 44th Montreux Jazz Festival.
His art celebrates life and stands for vitality and joy. Born in Brazil, Romero Britto lived an extremely modest lifestyle while growing up amongst eight brothers and sisters in Recife. Nowadays he is one of the most renowned Neo Pop artists worldwide. His paintings and sculptures combine elements of Cubism, Pop Art and Graffiti. Britto created the Festival’s poster already in 1999 for its 33rd edition and the logo of the Festival’s archives Montreux Sounds. Painted in strong and fresh colors, the poster for the 44th Montreux Jazz Festival represents a boy with guitar and his dog. Romero Britto, who currently lives in Miami, is an artistic activist for charitable and cultural organizations, he supports as well the Montreux Jazz Fondation 2.
The official news can found here.
Leonard Cohen, a fantastic artist and poet
On last Sunday evening, I had the chance to take part in one of the best concert I have ever seen. Mister Leonard Cohen (Wikipedia, official website) was giving a concert in Colmar, France. And what for a concert!
Fantastic. Emotional. Elegant. Enthusiastic. Moving. Entertaining. Exciting.
7’000 fans and connoisseurs of Cohen’s works, supporting and respecting the musicians on stage, that was just impressive. As usual during concerts, I find that silences are really showing how far an audience is enjoying (or not) a concert. An this one was full of silences :-)
The current band features:
- Sharon Robinson : co-writer with Mr. Cohen of Everybody knows, I’m your man, Waiting for the miracle, etc. / background vocals
- The Webb Sisters : background vocals. Listen to the little miracle on “If it be your will” below. Crazy and perfect duo.
- Roscoe Beck : musical director & bass. I know Roscoe Beck and I have listened to Roscoe for years, especially with the blues-guitarist Robben Ford.
- Neil Larsen : keyboards & Hammond B3 accordion
- Bob Metzger : electric, acoustic & pedal steel guitar
- Javier Mas : bandurria, laud, archilaud, 12-string acoustic guitar
- Rafael Gayol : drums, percussion
- Dino Soldo : sax, clarinet, dobro, keys
I shot some videos during the show, low video quality but the sound is not bad. Have a try.
Yesterday in Montreux, Black Eyed Peas!
Emmanuel Bueb, the CEO of Boomerang and my old friend, and myself had the chance again to be in Montreux / Switzerland, for the famous Montreux Jazz Festival. As in 2008 (Alicia Keys), 2007 (Van Morrison, Candy Dulfer), 2006 (Fourplay, Herbie Hancock), 2005 (Dianne Reeves, George Duke), 2004 (Pat Metheny Trio). Still a long history, also because we have started to go there each year before I have started to blog in 2004 ;-)
This year, we wanted to change a bit the style of music. No blues, no jazz anymore. Something new! So we decided ourselves for … the Black Eyed Peas! Only concert in Switzerland. So how was it?
Impressive! We haven’t seen so many people at a concert in Montreux.
Cool! Super sound, super atmosphere, super groove.
Really an exceptional show :-)
View from the terrace of our hotel
Waiting for the concert
The concert!
On heavy rotation…
Wow. Wow. Wow.
An *absolute masterpiece*, on heavy rotation since some weeks! Surely one of my preferred CD since years!
First, I have to say that I am a total-fan of Leonard Cohen since 15 years. His texts are extremely interesting, a real poet. This, on top of this very particular, original and timeless musical compositions… Just too much :-)
And, on top on top, there is his absolutely fantastic deep voice.
And, on top on top on top, when I have seen that the musical director and bass player of this tour is Roscoe Beck, that was again … just too much. Roscoe Beck is a great musician and bass player I have discovered for years as he was playing with Robben Ford, the well-known blues singer and guitar player. Roscoe is also well-known as one of the best specialist of five-string bass.
Some of the best songs of Leonard Cohen are present on the double-CD: Dance me to the end of love, Bird on the wire, Everybody knows, In my secret life, Suzanne, Hallelujah, I’m your man, Sisters of mercy.
And for me, the best song on the double-CD: If it be your will, sung by the Webb Sisters. So great. So great, I just miss the words to describe the emotional impact of their performance… Something you have to listen to once in your life…
New U2 album announced – March 3, 2009
via U2log.com
No Line On The Horizon
Mark your calendars! U2.com reports that ‘No Line on the Horizon’, the new studio album from U2, will be released on Monday 2nd March, 2009.
More on U2.com:
No Line On The Horizon, the new studio album from U2, will be released on Monday 2nd March 2009.
Written and recorded in various locations, No Line On The Horizon is the group’s 12th studio album and is their first release since the 9 million selling album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, released in late 2004.
Sessions for No Line On The Horizon began last year in Fez, Morocco, continued in the band’s own studio in Dublin, before moving to New York’s Platinum Sound Recording Studios, and finally being completed at Olympic Studios in London.
The album calls on the production talents of long-time collaborators Brian Eno and Danny Lanois, with additional production by Steve Lillywhite.
Actually, the new album is already available for pre-order on amazon.com!
Wow, that’s a *very* good news.