Joined by performers including Siedah Garrett, Lalah Hathaway, Rahsaan Patterson and SEVEN, Chaka Khan headlined Jones tribute To Q With Love on the stunning Lake Stage overlooking Lake Geneva.
The 59th edition of legendary Montreux Jazz Festival opened on Friday 4th July with a spectacular, world-exclusive tribute to the late Quincy Jones, led by the legendary Chaka Khan. Held on the stunning Lake Stage overlooking the shores of Lake Geneva, the emotional celebration marked both a joyous opening night and a heartfelt homage to a man who helped shape the soul of Montreux.
In a powerful and personal performance titled To Q With Love, Chaka Khan was joined by a host of special guests who have shared the stage or studio with Jones over the decades, including Siedah Garrett, Lalah Hathaway, Rahsaan Patterson, Mica Paris, jan SEVEN dettwyler and Marc Sway. Together, they delivered a dynamic set tracing Quincy Jones’s profound influence on modern music—and on Montreux itself.
Chaka Khan said: “This here tonight is a tribute to one of the most amazing men on the planet, and in music. As a father, a grandfather, an uncle, he was many things to me. And I know in your heart of hearts, where your music part lives, that he’s part of it. So, we’re gonna’ do a little tribute – no a big tribute actually – to Quincy Jones.”
Opening with her own classics like “This Is My Night,” “Tell Me Something Good,” and “Everlasting Love,” Chaka Khan set the tone with unmistakable soul and energy. But it was the second half that truly brought the crowd to its feet. The To Q With Love tribute featured renditions of iconic tracks tied to Quincy Jones’s legendary career — from Siedah Garrett’s powerful take on “Man In The Mirror”, produced by Jones and co-written by Garrett, to Khan’s performance of “Do You Love What You Feel” from the Jones-produced Masterjam. The setlist also featured “Give Me The Night”, “You Put a Move on My Heart”, “Rock with You” and “The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)”.
“This song changed my life. This song has opened so many doors, has allowed me to be on this stage tonight honouring the late, great, Quincy Delight Jones. So he [Quincy] was looking for one more song to round up the “Bad” album [by Michael Jackson]. So Glen [Ballard] and I wrote this song and Michael loved it and recorded it.”
Siedah Garrett before performing ‘Man in the Mirror’
The story between Quincy and Montreux began in 1991 when he was named official co-producer for three years. For Claude Nobs [founder of MJF], it was a dream come true, marking the start of a close and brotherly friendship. This collaboration opened with a masterstroke: they managed to convince Miles Davis to revisit major works from his past in Montreux—a feat he had always refused until then. Directed by Jones, that legendary performance would be one of Miles’s last, later winning a GRAMMY Award.
Throughout the 2000s, Jones continued curating exclusive nights in Montreux, uniting artists across genres and generations. Notable names include Phil Collins, Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Simply Red, Petula Clark, Al Jarreau, Nana Mouskouri, Mos Def, Jon Batiste, Matthieu Chedid, Jorja Smith and Chaka Khan. His influence left an indelible mark on Montreux’s identity, turning it into one of the most prestigious music gatherings in the world.
Chaka Khan’s concert —alongside a standout lineup including RAYE, Benson Boone, The Black Keys, FKA Twigs, Alanis Morissette, J Balvin, Bloc Party, Joe Bonamassa, London Grammar, RÜFÜS DU SOL, and Celeste—will be available to livestream for free on the Montreux Jazz Festival’s official YouTube channel, bringing Montreux’s iconic lakeside experience directly to music lovers everywhere and continuing the Festival’s ambition to bring live music to as wide a public as possible. The full and updated broadcast schedule is available on the festival’s website.
With this extraordinary opening night, the Montreux Jazz Festival 2025 is officially underway, promising two more weeks of unforgettable moments on the shores of Lake Geneva.
Watch the performance here:
ABOUT MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL
Montreux Jazz Festival is a renowned music festival founded by Claude Nobs and held annually in Montreux, Switzerland across two weeks in July. Now in its 59th year, the festival draws 250,000 music lovers from all across the world to the Lake Geneva shoreline. Montreux Jazz Festival celebrates the industry’s emerging and contemporary acts, whilst paying homage to music’s legendary acts. Originally a pure jazz festival since inception in 1967, Montreux began showcasing other styles of music throughout the decades and today presents artists from across every genre imaginable. Artists that have graced the stage of Montreux include Etta James, Quincy Jones, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, James Brown, Kendrick Lamar, Leonard Cohen, Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis, Nina Simone and many more.
