Jazz, soul & blues
Etta James
Etta James (1938-2012), one of the greatest voices of American soul, rhythm and blues and blues, first sang in Montreux in 1975, at the invitation of Claude Nobs. She returned across three decades: counting guest appearances, she gave nine concerts there. Claude Nobs, a devoted admirer, joined her on stage several times on harmonica. In 2021 the set “Etta James: The Montreux Years” gathered the best of her appearances, from her 1975 debut to the blazing concerts of the 1980s and 1990s.
Etta James in Montreux: three decades on stage
1975: a first concert at the jazz festival
In 1975, Claude Nobs invited Etta James to give her first concert in Montreux. Booking a soul and blues singer at a festival still identified with jazz was a gamble; it paid off from that very first night.
Etta James never hid what she was. “I am a blues singer”, she would tell the Montreux audience, amused that anyone might have taken her for a jazz singer. That plain speaking and stage presence connected with the crowd at once.
Claude Nobs, admirer and partner on harmonica
Claude Nobs held Etta James in unreserved admiration. He brought her back regularly and, several times, climbed on stage to accompany her on harmonica.
On 8 July 1978 he shared the stage with her, alongside guitarist Cash McCall and bassist Fred Beckmeier. The photograph from that night remains one of the most telling images of their bond.
Three decades of concerts
Etta James returned to Montreux throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Her appearances in 1977, 1978, 1989, 1990 and 1993 span the full range of her art, from the fiercest soul to the deepest blues.
“The Montreux Years”: the 2021 set
In 2021 the set “Etta James: The Montreux Years” launched, together with the one devoted to Nina Simone, a collection born of the partnership between the Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG. The series draws legendary or previously unreleased recordings from the festival archives, remastered and accompanied by rare notes and photographs.
The double album gives pride of place to her beginnings: a whole disc is devoted to her very first Montreux concert, in 1975, of which nine songs were kept, from “Respect Yourself” to “Baby What You Want Me to Do”. The other runs through the peaks from 1977 to 1993, from “Breakin’ Up Somebody’s Home” to “Something’s Got a Hold on Me”.
A curiosity of that journey: on “Tell Mama”, recorded in 1977, Rick Wakeman, the keyboardist of Yes, can be heard on keyboards.
