Jean Luc+ponty

Jean-Luc Ponty made a strong impression with his appearance at the 1967 Monterey Jazz Festival. Just barely 26 at the time of this obscure but worthy album (his first to appear on an American label), Ponty is teamed with pianist George Gruntz, trumpeter Carmell Jones, altoist Leo Wright, drummer Daniel Humair and an unidentified bassist. In addition to five originals by either Ponty or Gruntz, they perform a pair of pop songs (including Miriam Makeba's "Pata Pata") and the Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends." Already a very original player, Ponty's style at this early point was far beyond hard bop and looked a little toward both pop and John Coltrane. Unfortunately, this fine effort will be difficult to find on CD.

By 1982, jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty had established an enviable reputation as a pioneer in jazz-rock and jazz fusion. He began as a young bebop player in the late 1950s with little interest in becoming another swing or gypsy style violinist. It was the "sheets of sound" music of John Coltrane that spoke loudest to him. By the early 1970s Ponty was recording and touring with rock composer Frank Zappa, and playing with John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra, as well as releasing his own music on Atlantic Records. He bought himself a sequencer and synthesizer and carried them around while traveling so he could record new ideas. As ever, he was ready to experiment with new techniques to capture ideas for projects he was planning. The end result surprised and intrigued him.

Jean Luc Ponty - Live at Semper Opera (2002) {JLP–Harmonia Mundi 274 1187}
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© 2002 Harmonia Mundi / JLP Productions Inc. | 274 1187
Jazz / Fusion / Electric Violin

Jean Luc Ponty, veteran pioneering Jazz violinist recorded this CD at Semper Opera, Dresden in Germany, live and without dubbing; he says it is the most acoustic of his three live albums. The opening track "Imaginary Voyage; Infinite Pursuit" uses an ostinato effect that gives it a repetitive feel, but it opens out gradually, becoming more intricate when Ponty enters with his fine toned five string electric violin. There is also a noticeable African influence, with Mousstapha Cisse on percussion and Guy Nsangue Akwa on bass. "Mouna Bowa" is the first track that restricts itself to some straight forward swing by Ponty; he has a clear, precise tone and a sizzling technique, the whole band is articulate and inventive, this track is great fun.

Here is Ponty's radical break with his past, one that further tightened his control over his craft while ironically liberating his muse. In laying out his attractive new music on synthesizers and sequencers, emphasizing revolving ostinato patterns, Ponty rejuvenated his melodic gift, and as a result, even in this controlled setting, his violin solos take on a new freshness and exuberance.

The innovative violinist Jean-Luc Ponty was making a strong impression in the United States in 1969, a year in which he made four notable American recordings that solidified his reputation a few years before he formed his own fusion band. For this little-known effort, Ponty is joined by a big band arranged by Gerald Wilson and including pianist George Duke (an important early collaborator), altoist Bud Shank, flutist Tony Ortega and guitarist Wilbert Longmire. Highlights include "Summit Soul," Ponty's "Hypomode Del Sol" (which sticks effectively to one chord) and Ron Carter's "Eighty-One."

Jean-Luc Ponty recorded for a number of labels prior to his signing by Atlantic in the early '70s, but this 1970 session in Japan was among his most challenging albums to acquire until it was finally reissued in the fall of 2011 in Japan. He joined forces with Japanese keyboardist Masahiko Satoh, the great bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, guitarist Yoshiaki Masuo, and drummer Motohiko Hino for the studio date.

Here is Ponty's radical break with his past, one that further tightened his control over his craft while ironically liberating his muse. In laying out his attractive new music on synthesizers and sequencers, emphasizing revolving ostinato patterns, Ponty rejuvenated his melodic gift, and as a result, even in this controlled setting, his violin solos take on a new freshness and exuberance.

Considering Ponty's most recent work, rife with world or Afrocentric mishmashes or even further back mired in dense, overwashed electronic synth muck, this recording is not only a welcome change of pace, but a return to the great music that made Ponty an important figure in contemporary music. This one is recommended with no hesitation, and is the brilliant violinist's best effort in nearly 30 years.