Pianist Jerry Léonide, winner of last year’s Montreux solo piano competition, makes his recording debut as a leader with The Key this summer. It’s for Munich label ACT (home to Gwilym Simcock, Yaron Herman, and Michael Wollny), and is to be released later in the summer. A quintet affair Léonide’s album is based on traditional Mauritian rhythms and melodies, the pianist having come to Siggi Loch’s label with the support of the Montreux Jazz Foundation.

The new signing, as a teenager, made the move to study in Paris from his native Mauritius and won the career-shaping Montreux prize two years on from having picked up an initial third place finish in the competition.

Before the album’s release Léonide returns to Montreux to open, on 14 July, for label-mate Manu Katché who has just recorded a new live album.