(May 2, 2026 LONDON) – BMG and The Montreux Jazz Festival announce the return of their prestigious live collection series, with a brand new release Roberta Flack: The Montreux Years. The album, out June 26 in multiple-format configurations including 2LP heavyweight vinyl, CD, download and on all major streaming services, features a sublime collection of Roberta Flack’s Montreux Jazz Festival performances spanning four decades, from her debut appearance in 1971 through to her last in 2008. Fully restored and superbly mastered for the first time by Tony Cousins at London’s Metropolis Studios, the unique recordings come with exclusive liner notes by her long-term manager Suzanne Koga, and rare and unseen photography. Ahead of the album’s release, the track “I’d Like To Be Baby To You” from Flack’s 1990 Montreux Jazz Festival concert is available to stream now.
One of the most distinctive and powerful voices in contemporary music, Flack rose to global prominence in the early 1970s with recordings that shaped her legacy, including the timeless “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and the era-defining “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” A classically trained pianist and vocalist, she developed an artistry that was both technically refined and emotionally resonant, moving effortlessly between soul, jazz, pop and folk.
Flack also broke records and barriers in the music industry, becoming the first artist to win back-to-back GRAMMY Awards for Record of the Year, and establishing herself as a pioneering figure among Black women in taking creative and production control of her own recordings. Her career helped redefine the pathway for future generations of artists and reinforced the importance of artistic independence and musical excellence.
Following her passing in 2024, which prompted an extraordinary global outpouring of love and tributes from fans, peers and cultural institutions, Roberta Flack: The Montreux Years stands as a timely and deeply moving celebration of her enduring artistry and legacy. This album is an outstanding tribute to an unparalleled artist captured exactly as she wanted fans to hear it.
The collection showcases Flack’s extraordinary versatility as an interpreter of song, from a deeply expressive rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne” and selections from her landmark debut album First Take performed at Montreux in 1972, to a stunning performance of Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy Mercy Me” performed live at the festival in 2005.
Launched in 2021, ‘The Montreux Years’ is the embodiment of the spirit of The Montreux Jazz Festival and the legacy of its much beloved founder, Claude Nobs. Nobs refused to compromise on quality and his ethos lives on in the superb quality of the live recordings compiled in ‘The Montreux Years’. The Montreux Jazz Festival holds over 5000 live recordings spanning 1967 to 2013 and the archive is part of UNESCO’s Memory of the World. Mastering has been performed by Tony Cousins at London’s iconic Metropolis Studios.
Roberta Flack: The Montreux Years is the latest instalment of ‘The Montreux Years’ series, which began with collections from musical titans Nina Simone and Etta James, followed by releases from Marianne Faithfull and Muddy Waters, John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Monty Alexander, Paco De Lucia, Michel Petrucciani, Dr John, McCoy Tyner, and the Modern Jazz Quartet. Having received critical acclaim worldwide, Nina Simone: The Montreux Years’ reached No. 1 twice on the UK Official Jazz & Blues chart in 2021 and was hailed by the likes of the New York Times.
