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Quincy Jones' documentary series on Montreux Jazz Festival to air on BBC Four

Quincy Jones is making a BBC documentary series about the Montreux Jazz Festival credit:Bang Showbiz
Quincy Jones is making a BBC documentary series about the Montreux Jazz Festival credit:Bang Showbiz

Quincy Jones is making a BBC documentary series about the Montreux Jazz Festival.

The ‘Ai No Corrida’ hitmaker, 90, dubbed the BBC Four three-parter, titled ‘They All Came Out To Montreux’, and which he executive produced, a “wonderful testament” to the celebration of music founded in 1967 by Claude Nobs and is held on Switzerland’s Lake Geneva each year.

The Oliver Murray-directed series – which begins on 16 June at 10.15pm – will feature performances and testimony from deceased stars like David Bowie, Ray Charles, Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin, Prince, Nina Simone and many living legends like Elvis Costello, 68, Keith Richards, 75, Carlos Santana, 75, Sting, 71, Talking Heads, Shania Twain, 57, Van Morrison, 75, and Jack White, 47, among others.

Quincy said: “‘They All Came Out To Montreux’ is a wonderful testament to the story behind what I consider to be the ‘Rolls Royce of music festivals’ and how it came to be.”

Festival founder Claude, who died in 2013 aged 76, was lauded by the festival as someone who “questioned certainties”.

The organisers said: “For all of us, who were fortunate enough to cross your path, you will always remain the one who questioned certainties.

“We carry, and will continue to carry on in your spirit, everything you taught us.”

The first Montreux festival 57 years ago boasted a line-up headlined by Charles Lloyd and Keith Jarrett, and in 1973, Claude was given a shout-out in the track ‘Smoke on the Water’ by Deep Purple, who also appear in the BBC documentary, as “funky Claude”.