With great emotion, the Montreux Jazz Festival today pays tribute to one of its heroes—a true legend, an inexhaustible source of inspiration for generations of musicians all over the world.
Quincy Jones loved to surprise, bring people together, break down boundaries. Style, age, or nationality didn’t matter; only the quality of the music did. Such open-mindedness was rare in the industry. To bring his wildest projects to life on stage, he could always count on his great friend, his “brother from another mother”, Claude Nobs.
Every summer, for more than thirty years, the Montreux Jazz Festival was his second home. Behind the scenes, “Q” seemed tireless, always ready for a jam session, to meet a new artist, or to keep the party going until dawn. Lenny Kravitz reminded us last summer during his concert: “I had many fun action-packed nights in Montreux. Claude and Quincy would put me to bed every night. Quincy Jones doesn’t sleep.”
The story between Quincy and Montreux began in 1991 when he was named official co-producer for three years. For Claude, it was a huge dream come true, marking the start of a close and brotherly friendship. This collaboration opened with a masterstroke: they managed to convince Miles Davis to revisit major works from his past in Montreux—a feat he had always refused until then. Directed by Quincy Jones, this legendary concert would be one of Miles’s last, as he passed away a few months later. The album went on to win a Grammy Award.
Throughout the 2000s, Quincy Jones organized grand, exclusive nights for Montreux, bringing together a plethora of musicians from all continents and generations. Notable names include Phil Collins, Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Simply Red, Chaka Khan, Petula Clark, Al Jarreau, Nana Mouskouri, Mos Def, Jon Batiste, Matthieu Chedid, and Jorja Smith.
After Claude’s passing in 2013, Quincy continued to come to Montreux every summer, carrying on his role as an ambassador with all his passion and genius. Always open to new discoveries, he met young talents in Montreux, such as Jacob Collier and Alfredo Rodriguez, whom he took under his wing as a producer and mentor.
Quincy Jones will forever mark the history of Montreux and the hearts of all those who had the chance to meet him there. We will greatly miss his laughter, his wild stories, travel tales, zest for life, and generosity.
Thank you for everything, Quincy.
You were our hero.
