Montreux Jazz Origins

We'll be opening the doors of some original, sometimes private, venues, all with a link to the origins of the extraordinary Montreux Jazz Festival and its creator, Claude Nobs. Starting at the Casino de Montreux, where the first editions took place, we'll show you how this festival came to be. What are the links between the Mountain Studio Recording, located in the same Casino, and its sound engineer and the festival? Visit the Queen Studio Experience (formerly Mountain Studio). How is it possible that this studio has hosted so many prestigious groups and artists? The Rolling Stones, Yes, AC/DC, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Chris Rea, etc. We'll explain everything! On the way to the old town, we listen to music that has marked the festival's history, and discover previously unseen objects and hidden places linked to Montreux's unique cultural and tourist development. We end the tour in an extraordinary building, a living place dedicated to art located in the old town: "Taulan Art Factory". We'll unveil the festival's graphic approach and its famous logo through the jazz festival posters.  Accompanied by an aperitif and refreshments. And to finish on a high note, an original surprise awaits you...

The tour is the brainchild of your guide, Stephan Perrinjaquet, who is a native of Montreux, also musician and happily calls himself “a child of the Festival”. He attended many of the concerts, especially during the casino period, and has met or knows personally some of the Festival’s more emblematic figures: musicians such as Astor Piazzola and David Bowie, Chris Rea, members of Queen, or sound technician and producer David Richards. The Montreux Jazz Festival, the origins…

Our tours are on foot and with small groups of no more than 6 people (or individuals) to preserve a certain intimacy and encourage discussion. This tour is designed and guided by Stephan Perrinjaquet, himself a Montreux resident, who likes to describe himself as "a child of the Festival". In fact, he attended many of the concerts (during the Casino period) and has met or personally known a number of emblematic figures such as musicians Astor Piazzolla and David Bowie, composer Hubert Giraud and sound engineer and producer David Richards (Mountain Studio).