BMG has announced the release of B.B. King: The Montreux Years, a brand-new collection of live recordings capturing the legendary King of the Blues across his historic appearances at the Swiss festival. Arriving on 20 November 2026—commemorating what would have been the blues icon’s 101st birthday—the album draws from nine of King’s 23 Montreux Jazz Festival performances spanning between 1982 and 2000.
To mark the announcement, the lead single 'Early in the Mornin' (2000)' has been released alongside an official performance video clip. The track, recorded live at the Auditorium Stravinski in 2000, serves as a tribute to one of King’s core musical influences, Louis Jordan.
Created in close collaboration with the B.B. King Estate and the Montreux Jazz Festival team, every track in the collection has been restored and newly mastered from the original tapes by Tony Cousins at London’s Metropolis Studios. With all but one recording making their official release debut, the album highlights King across multiple eras of the festival, featuring classic performances of 'The Thrill Is Gone', 'Rock Me Baby', 'Caldonia', and 'Stormy Monday'.
The release will be available in multiple formats, including a 2LP vinyl edition, a 2CD digisleeve package, and HD digital audio. The physical formats come complete with rare photography and liner notes written by B.B. King biographer Daniel de Visé, alongside contributions from King’s long-time bassist Michael Doster.
Launched in 2021, The Montreux Years series celebrates the vast archive curated by festival founder Claude Nobs, which was inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register in 2013. B.B. King joins a prestigious roster of past series subjects, including Nina Simone, Etta James, Muddy Waters, and Roberta Flack.
B.B. King: The Montreux Years is available to pre-order now, with 'Early in the Mornin' out across all major streaming platforms.
