Montreux Jazz Fest to mix genres, generations

GENEVA

From music legends Bob Dylan, Lionel Richie and Iggy Pop to newer stars like Gayle and Sam Smith, the Montreux Jazz Festival unveiled on April 5 a vast and varied line-up for this summer’s shows.

The 57th edition of the festival, held in the idyllic Swiss town of Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva from June 30 to July 15, will serve up acts “traversing genres and generations,” organizers said.

Dylan, the 81-year-old Nobel laureate and folk-rock legend, will be in Montreux on July 1 as part of a tour to present his album “Rough and Rowdy Ways.”

“Part acoustic folk, part electric blues, this 2020 album is considered by his fans and critics to be one of his best of the last 30 years,” organizers said, adding that at Dylan’s request, the concert venue would be “fully seated to reflect the intimate atmosphere of his tour.”

The next night, audiences can see Chris Isaak, the 66-year-old American singer-songwriter most famous for his 1989 hit “Wicked Game,” appearing 30 years after his only previous appearance at Montreux.

American smooth rocker Lionel Richie, British singer Seal and British band Simply Red will meanwhile represent “three decades of hit-makers at the crossroads of soul and pop,” organizers said.

Newer generations of hit-makers will also be well represented.

British star Sam Smith will be playing the prestigious Stravinsky Auditorium for the first time, eight years after appearing at the festival’s Lab, which is dedicated to exploring new and emerging music production.

Among the younger artists on the line-up is another LGBTQ icon, the American rapper, singer and songwriter Lil Nas X, who blurs the lines between hip-hop, pop and R&B and made a name for himself with the 2019 country-trap smash hit “Old Town Road.”

It also includes a number of popular talents on TikTok, like Canadian Stacey Ryan in the groovy pop category and Cavetown, Maisie Peters and 18-year-old U.S. star Gayle “in more indie or emo incarnations.”

Several evenings of the festival will be dedicated to exploring musical genre through the artistry of two different generations, the organizers said.

That is the case with 44-year-old US songwriter and pianist Norah Jones, who will appear in Montreux 13 years after her last visit alongside Mavis Staples as she celebrates her 84th birthday.

The festival organizers also promised a “dream line-up for every punk rock fan” with Iggy Pop due to showcase his ferocious new album.

He will be preceded on stage by Generation Sex, a supergroup comprising original members of Generation X and the Sex Pistols, including singer Billy Idol and bassist Tony James.