Geneva - The Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland will start its 43rd annual round of show on Friday, featuring 100 artists from various genres, including rock, pop, soul, blues and of course jazz. British hip hop singer Lily Allen will do a gig, as will the rambunctious Jamaican vocalist Grace Jones.
Jazz great Herbie Hancock and the virtuoso Chinese classical pianist Lang Lang are set to perform together a piano project they have been working on for over a year.
Guitarists George Benson and BB King will also play their jazz and blues licks at center stage.
Classic rockers Alice Cooper and John Fogerty will perform at the festival which will also put on shows by more modern alternative acts like Bloc Party and the jam outfit the Dave Matthews Band. Marianne Faithful will bring her voice to Switzerland as well.
Various electronic-oriented performers are scheduled to mix their records live.
Along with the main stage concerts, dozens of artists will play music through all hours of the day and night for free in the scenic area at the eastern end of Lake Geneva.
If the sun plays along and the weather stays fair, the festival could attract well over 200,000 people before it closed on July 19.
