It started in 1967 with just three days dedicated solely to jazz, headlined by the Charles Lloyd Quartet with Keith Jarrett, Cecil McBee and Jack DeJohnette — names familiar to the most devoted of jazz devotees. Now in its forty-third year, the Montreux Jazz Festival has blossomed into a veritable musical garden featuring genres that range from blues to techno. Legends such as bluesman B.B. King have rubbed elbows with pop newcomers like James Blunt; sultry crooner Isaac Hayes has even mingled with the thrash metal band Slayer.

King is returning to the Swiss town of Montreux for the 2009 event, which runs July 3-18, along with other repeat performers Herbie Hancock and guitar master Jeff Beck. In all, some 1,000 musicians are booked for the festival, which remains true to form with its eclectic line-up. The 16-day bash is set to include the likes of the Dave Matthews Band, Grace Jones, New York Salsa All Stars, Alice Cooper, and even a night that promises a throwback to the 80s with Ray Parker Jr., Kool & the Gang, and Earth, Wind & Fire Experience.

Tickets range from as low as CHF 65 (LE 329), for standing room at the Miles Davis Hall performances, up to CHF 300 (LE 1520) for class-A seating in the Auditorium Stravinski. There are also boat and train tours with jazz, bluegrass, Brazilian and Celtic performances, among other music genres.

And what is better than two solid weeks of top-name concerts? Two solid weeks of free music, filling up almost every hour of your day. The party starts at Parc Vemex with a daily midday jazz concert, after which the “Music at the Park” stage opens up to other genres. The Montreux Jazz Café opens its restaurant doors at 6pm; arrive early to get your seat for the free Jazz Sessions starting at 8:30pm. For late-night partying, the electro MDH Club has a series of live acts and DJs — and no cover charge. Perhaps the most bipolar of the free-music venues is the lakeside Club 41/Cocktail Garden. Open at 4pm, the mellow Cocktail Garden sends melodies drifting out across the waters of Lake Geneva; come 11pm, the same site turns into Club 41, a haven of house music.

Competitions hosted by the Montreux Jazz Foundation 2 let you be among the first to hear the future of jazz. Aspiring musicians compete in solo piano, guitar and voice, with the top names in the genre judging the categories of improvisation, blues and composition. All performances are free.

With stunning vistas, Montreux, the Swiss town that lends the festival its name, is a destination in its own right. A rack railway lets trains carry visitors up the steep passage to Rochers-de-Naye, an alpine ski resort overlooking Lake Geneva. On an island in the lake is Chateau de Chillon, or Chillon Castle. Made famous by George Gordon Byron, better known as the romantic poet Lord Byron, in “The Prisoner of Chillon,” the castle is now a museum and hosts some of the festival’s “Creation” sessions, fusing music and performance arts.

To get warmed up for the festivities, visit the Live at Montreux website (www.liveatmontreux.com) to view concert footage from previous festivals.

2009 Montreux Jazz Festival Montreux, Switzerland July 3–18, 2009 www.montreuxjazz.com et