When Claude Nobs took his first trip to the United States in the 1960’s he was just a young Swiss chef travelling abroad. After a visit to the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, Nobs decided to drop in at the New York offices of Atlantic Records. Despite having no scheduled appointment, Nobs managed to get into the office of Atlantic Records Director, the late Nesuhi Ertugun, simply by saying that he was from Switzerland. The two men hit it off instantly and Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival was born.
Since its premiere in 1967, the Montreux Jazz Festival has gone on to become one of the most successful and respected music festivals in the world. The same spontaneity, flair and audacity with which Nobs first gained admittance into the Atlantic offices has become his trademark, successfully recruiting performers such as Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin and Roberta Flack.
In its forty year history the festival has been the scene of many memorable events, including the fire during the Frank Zappa concert that lead Deep Purple to write “Smoke on the Water.” From Count Basie and B.B. King to R.E.M. and the latest in salsa, hip-hop and indie rock, the Montreux Jazz Festival attracts the finest musicians of all genres. A one-hour documentary available as a DVD “Montreux Dream” focuses on the international musical spectacle and takes an intimate look into the off-the-wall life of its founder. Through interviews and archival footage Nobs briefly relates the story of his life, from his childhood when he immersed himself in jazz records to the creation of the festival which has brought him worldwide fame and countless legendary acquaintances. With exclusive access to the Montreux film and sound archives this film offers spectacular footage of performances by such legends and modern performers as James Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, Charles Mingus, R.E.M. and countless others. Featuring performances and extensive interviews with B.B. King that are definite highlights of this program, Montreux Dream truly illustrates the full significance of this internationally known festival while celebrating the innumerable joys of music.
Listen to what Perry Richardson, author of the 4 volumes « Live from Montreux », tells about Claude Nobs :
Claude Nobs 
