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NEWS POP & JAZZ MUSIC
Montreux Jazz Festival - 2025
by frank wilkat, July, 4th 2025
The Montreux Jazz Festival (MJF) is set to hold its 59th edition from July 4th to 19th, 2025, marking its final appearance at the iconic lakeside stage (Seebühne) and the intimate Casino venue. This year’s festival will bring together legendary artists and current stars, bridging generations and musical genres in true festival spirit.
The Seebühne promises an enchanting musical journey with major premieres, highly anticipated returns, and exclusive performances, all set against a stunning backdrop of the lake, mountains, and sunsets. Meanwhile, the Casino will offer a diverse program that blurs the lines between jazz, Latin, R&B, pop, and hip-hop, providing an intimate setting for both established and emerging artists. Organizers have also improved comfort and visibility at the Casino based on previous feedback.
Next year, for its 60th anniversary, the MJF will relocate to a newly renovated convention center.
Perfect Crime - Joy Crookes
by frank wilkat, July, 3rd 2025
Joy Crookes has dropped a new single, ‘Perfect Crime’, from her upcoming second album, ‘Juniper’, due out on September 26th. Crookes co-produced the track with Harvey Grant, and it’s all about her reclaiming her power.
She describes ‘Perfect Crime’ as her “pep talk” or “mantra” for getting back into dating, encouraging herself to “bite the bullet and dive into something.”
This new single follows previously released tracks like ‘Carmen’, ‘I Know You’d Kill’, ‘Pass The Salt’ (featuring Vince Staples), and ‘Mathmatics’ (featuring Kano). The 12-track album, ‘Juniper’, will delve into themes of mental health, anxiety, body politics, and falling in love.
Summertime Blue - Norah Jones
by frank wilkat, July, 1st 2025
Norah Jones and John Legend have released their first-ever collaboration, the single “Summertime Blue.” This “breezy, wistful duet” brings together two highly acclaimed artists, both singer-songwriter-pianists with a combined 23 GRAMMY Awards.
The song was produced by Jones and Gregg Wattenberg, who initiated the idea for the collaboration. Jones expressed her long-standing admiration for Legend and the excitement of finally working with him in his LA studio. Legend, equally enthusiastic, called it a “perfect way to start the summer,” praising Jones’s voice, soul, and musicianship.
“Summertime Blue” features Jones and Legend on vocals, with Jones also on piano, Wattenberg on guitar, Josh Lattanzi on bass, Shawn Pelton on drums, and a string arrangement by Dave Eggar and Chuck Palmer.
International Jazz Day - 2025
by frank wilkat, April, 30th 2025
International Jazz Day 2025 was celebrated on April 30, with Abu Dhabi serving as the Global Host City. Organized by UNESCO and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, the event featured concerts and educational programs.
The highlight was the International Jazz Day 2025 All-Star Global Concert at the Etihad Arena, led by Herbie Hancock and hosted by Jeremy Irons. It showcased numerous international jazz, blues, classical, and hip-hop artists, including Dee Dee Bridgewater, John McLaughlin, and Dianne Reeves.
Hancock emphasized jazz’s unifying power. Beyond the main concert, diverse events were held worldwide and specifically in Abu Dhabi, including workshops and performances that blended jazz with traditional instruments. The festivities coincided with the Abu Dhabi Culture Summit and were supported by the Doris Duke Foundation and United Airlines.
A Life in Music - Quincy Jones
by frank wilkat, November, 3rd 2024
Quincy Jones, a legendary figure who transcended jazz, pop, and film music, passed away at 91. He was a multi-talented force, playing with jazz greats like Count Basie, writing for Frank Sinatra, and producing the best-selling album in pop history, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
Jones’s journey began in dire circumstances in Chicago. At age eleven, while breaking into a warehouse for food, he stumbled upon a piano. This discovery ignited a profound realization: “This is what you want to do – for the rest of your life.” This pivotal moment marked the start of his musical calling.
Years before his groundbreaking work in pop, Jones was already a celebrated jazz musician. By 18, he was playing trumpet in Lionel Hampton’s big band and quickly became an in-demand arranger for stars like Dinah Washington and Louis Armstrong.
A key turning point in his education came in 1957 in Paris, when he met the renowned music teacher Nadia Boulanger. Despite discussing Ravel, Boulanger offered him a fundamental piece of advice that profoundly influenced his career: “There are only twelve notes, Quincy, really only twelve. Just look at what others have done with them.” Later, she added a paradoxical statement that deeply affected him: “Musical freedom can only be achieved in complete limitation.”
Jones interpreted Boulanger’s words not as a constraint, but as a challenge to extract maximum creativity and elegance from apparent limitations. This philosophy is evident across his diverse work, from the sophisticated teenage pop songs for Lesley Gore to his arrangements for Frank Sinatra and his numerous film scores like “In the Heat of the Night” and “The Color Purple.”
His personal credo was always to “believe in something” and trust his subconscious for inspiration. Jones’s sound, though music has no color, was a powerful expression of African American emancipation, creating a seamless connection from bebop to hip-hop. He masterfully integrated soul, funk, and an eclectic form of pop, exemplified by his work on “Thriller.” He often reflected on Boulanger’s lesson about the twelve notes, marveling at how all music, from Beethoven to Basie, has been created using the same basic elements for centuries.