Montreux Jazz Festival To Honor Atlantic Records

New York, NY (Atlantic Records) - In celebration of this year's 40th Montreux Jazz Festival, two very special concerts will be presented in honor of Atlantic Records. The first concert, a tribute to Atlantic Founding Chairman Ahmet Ertegun, will take place on Friday, June 30th, the opening night of the festival. The second concert, on Sunday, July 2nd, will be dedicated to the late Nesuhi Ertegun, the pioneering jazz producer, educator, and music executive. Europe's premier annual music festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival was founded by Claude Nobs, with the help of Nesuhi Ertegun and Atlantic Records, among others.

The June 30th concert will feature some of the most important names in contemporary music, including a number of Atlantic Records' biggest stars, past and present. Among the artists slated to appear are, in alphabetical order: Jeff Beck, Solomon Burke, Chic, Phil Collins, George Duke, Chaka Khan, Kid Rock, Ben E. King, Bette Midler, Stevie Nicks, Paolo Nutini, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and Steve Winwood, plus the Nile Rodgers Orchestra and the Atlantic Soul All-Stars featuring Les McCann, Cornell Dupree, Ronnie Cuber, Jerry Jermott, and Buddy Williams.

July 2nd will be a jazz night, in honor of Nesuhi Ertegun's devotion and contribution to the form. The evening will star the legendary Ornette Coleman, Brazilian jazz master Sergio Mendes, vocalist extraordinaire Chaka Khan, and a tribute to New Orleans jazz pioneer Kid Ory featuring Wycliffe Gordon (trombone), Evan Christopher (clarinet), Eddy Davis (banjo), Conal Fowlkes (bass/piano), and Joe Sample (piano).

In addition, on the evening of July 1st, the Montreux Jazz Festival will feature several artists associated with Atlantic Records, including jazz greats Stanley Clarke, George Duke, and Klaus Doldinger - in a concert dedicated to legendary Atlantic producer Arif Mardin - and current Downtown/Atlantic recording group Gnarls Barkley.

Since the first Montreux Jazz Festival in 1967, the event has grown to encompass artists spanning a wide musical spectrum, including jazz, blues, soul, R&B, gospel, rock, pop, hip-hop, and world music. This year's festival will run from June 30th through July 15th - 16 days of concerts taking place simultaneously at three different venues. The Atlantic events will both be held in the largest hall, the 3,500-seat Auditorium Stravinski.

The city of Montreux, Switzerland is situated at the foot of the Alps on the banks of Lake Geneva, in the region known as the 'Swiss Riviera'.