New Orleans artists kick off Switzerland’s 58th Montreux Jazz Festival

New Orleans artists kick off with a bang Keystone-SDA

Two artists from New Orleans launched the Montreux Jazz Festival on Friday, performing on the new “Lake Stage”. Trombone Shorty opened the show, followed by Jon Batiste who took to the streets in the truest "New Orleans" fashion.

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Trombone Shorty, a trombone and trumpet virtuoso and an excellent singer, played for the fifth time in Montreux, in front of an audience visibly captivated by the lake stage, which offers a magical view of Lake Geneva. He thrilled the audience – including Jon Batiste, who came to applaud him – with a repertoire from his latest album, “Lifted”.

The 38-year-old artist drove the audience “crazy”, as the title of one of his songs, with his fusion of funk, hip-hop and rock. He took the crowd by storm, swinging his trombone across the Place du Marché as the sun set.

Multi-instrumentalist talents

Then Jon Batiste took over. It’s not the first time the two artists have shared the same stage. The two musicians have known each other since they were very young.

The artist, initially dressed in a glittering gold suit, showcased the full range of his multi-instrumentalist and vocal talents, from drums to piano to melodica (a type of harmonica with a keyboard).

Intimate songs, jazz, and blues peppered the concert, captivating the audience. The artist also wished a happy birthday to his wife, who has recently recovered from cancer.

Marching band

As the concert drew to a close, the artist mingled with the crowd before leading the group out into the streets of Montreux. In the tradition of a marching band, akin to the festive processions typical of Louisiana, they played while surrounded by delighted fans, covering nearly a kilometre all the way to the gates of the Palace on the Grand-Rue.

The artist, who has forged strong ties with Montreux, was giving his only European concert of the summer. As heir to a dynasty of musicians, he had already brought the Stravinski Auditorium to its feet last year with his first “one-off” concert at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Prior to that, he had been invited several times by Quincy Jones as a pianist. He also played there once with his quartet.

New habits

Festival-goers quickly adapted to the festival’s new layout along 1.5 kilometres of quays, strolling between terraces, kiosks, food trucks, and both free and ticketed concerts.

The 58th edition of the festival runs until July 20, featuring a star-studded line-up on the lakeside stage and in the intimate Casino hall. Acts include Deep Purple, Kraftwerk, Sting, Lenny Kravitz, Duran Duran, Diana Krall, Jamie Cullum, Raye, Dionne Warwick, Massive Attack, Paolo Nutini, and Zucchero.

In addition to the 64 ticked concerts, some 500 free concerts and activities will be offered on fifteen stages between the 2m2c and the Place du Marché.

Translated from French by DeepL/sp

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