Last night, the Montreux Jazz Festival was treated to an unforgettable night of UK soul and hip-hop talent in the famous Montreux Jazz Lab from the unstoppable three-piece Gabriels, English singer Olivia Dean and UK rapper Loyle Carner.
Fresh from releasing their most critically acclaimed album to date and a guest appearance in Elton John’s Glastonbury headline set, Gabriels took to the stage in a flurry of style and elegance. Lead singer Jacob Lusk was dressed to the nines in his customary flowing cape and suit, saying: “I’ve always dreamed of playing at Montreux Jazz Festival. Looks like tonight a dream came true.”
The English-American soul collective delivered a pitch-perfect performance, combining soul, blues, theatre and elements of R&B into a dreamlike performance accompanied by gorgeous backing singers and violin, effortlessly flowing through hits like ‘Love and Hate in a Different Time’, new material ‘Glory’) before closing the set with the swing-driven ‘One and Only’.
Following the recent release of her debut album Messy – which is poised for a strong UK chart position this week – North London soul artist Olivia Dean set out to captivate the Montreux Jazz Lab audience with her uplifting soul anthems, reeling through beautiful renditions of ‘UFO’ and ‘Carmen’, before ending on the very personal ‘Hardest Part’ and apt finale ‘Dive’. Taking to the stage in a flowing pink dress, the BRIT School alumni’s vocals and stage presence left the audience mesmerised.
Closing the evening out, British rapper Loyle Carner put on a strong performance in the Lab, effortlessly commanding the stage with his magnetic presence and weaving deeply personal and uplifting narratives into his ad libs, bringing East London to Montreux with tracks ‘Homerton’ and ‘Ottolenghi’.
Montreux Jazz Festival continues until 15th July, with this year’s eclectic line-up spanning across all genres and eras of music – including Mark Ronson, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Buddy Guy,Joe Bonamassa, and many more.
For the full line-up and further information, head to: https://www.montreuxjazzfestival.com/en/.
