"…some of the most important Baroque rediscoveries of recent years … [an] essential recording…" ~BBC MusicMag
Reissue with the latest remastering. Features original cover artwork. Comes with a descripton in Japanese. A tribute to the great European guitarist Rene Thomas – and one that features Thomas himself fronting a sweet small combo with Fender Rhodes from Rob Franken – with a sound that's unlike any other album that Rene ever recorded! Thomas first rose to fame on the bop scene in Paris in the postwar years – but here, he's got a much more longform approach to guitar – really stretching out on these very long tracks that build beautifully with his own richly chromatic lines, and some great solo moments from Franken. The group also features Koos Serierse on bass and Louis Debij on drums – and titles include "My Wife Maria", "Jesus Think Of Me", "Star Eyes", and "Round Midnight".
Jean-Luc Ponty, who at the time was still with the second version of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, is heard playing his own brand of fusion on this excellent recording. Upon the Wings of Music set the standard for his music of the next decade. With keyboardist Patrice Rushen, Dan Sawyer or Ray Parker on guitars, bassist Ralphe Armstrong and drummer Ndugu, the violinist performs eight of his highly arranged but spirited originals. His early Atlantic recordings (of which this is the first) remain underrated for their important contributions to the history of fusion.