Jean Luc Ponty

Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music
In 1977, French jazz fusion violinist par excellence Jean Luc Ponty released his outstanding ENIGMATIC OCEAN..

All of the titles here make some kind of reference to cosmic issues of good and evil on the planet Earth, but the suggestive wordplay doesn't make this music much different from that on Jean-Luc Ponty's previous Atlantic outings. Ponty plays with his accustomed fluid virtuosity; the five-piece group ranges from standard Ponty fusion to mild funk; the rhythm section is sometimes more grandly recorded than before; and occasionally, one can hear some embryonic sequenced structures that would be explored further on in the decade. But one still gets the overall impression that Ponty has been around this block a few too many times; what was once fresh and musical has ossified into formula.

Drummer Daniel Humair's name might be listed first on this double CD, and organist Eddy Louiss may be the dominant voice, but it is the inclusion of violinist Jean-Luc Ponty as part of the trio that really makes it quite historic. Recorded in Paris in 1968, the live set features Ponty at the beginning of his career, before he came to the U.S., teamed up with the George Duke Trio, joined forces with Frank Zappa, became part of the second Mahavishnu Orchestra and had his long string of fusion albums for Atlantic. Not quite 26 at the time, Ponty is featured on the date mostly playing standards including "You've Changed," "Summertime" (which is taken double time), "So What," "Bag's Groove" and "Oleo." Sometimes his violin sounds a little like a saxophone and it is clear, even at this early stage, that Ponty had a great deal of potential in jazz…

Mystical Adventures expands Jean-Luc Ponty's palette slightly with the introduction of part-time percussionist Paulinho Da Costa and the use of a vocoder on a couple of tracks. Otherwise, it's the same mixture of mildly intoxicating arpeggios and flights of fancy that you'd find in various amounts on any Ponty album from this period.

Jean-Luc Ponty has been extremely satisfied with his international touring quintet, which not only excels in performances of his latest compositions, but also brings new life to older works. Earlier in his career, the violinist became enamored with the use of banks of synthesizers plus digital delay for special effects on his instrument, as well as the prominent presence of an electric guitarist. But this quintet, heard in a brilliant 1999 concert in Warsaw, is considerably stripped down, featuring keyboardist William Lecomte, electric bassist Guy Nsangue Akwa, drummer Thierry Arpino, and percussionist Moustapha Cisse. A perfect example is "Rhythms of Hope," first recorded for Ponty's album Mystical Adventures; Ponty's dazzling solo is followed by Akwa's intricate, yet never excessively flashy bass solo.

Cosmic Messenger is more elegant, European-flavored jazz-rock from the French virtuoso Jean-Luc Ponty, and pretty much in the same mold as his previous Atlantic albums but with gradually tightening control over every parameter of performance…

Consistently imaginative, Enigmatic Ocean is one of Jean-Luc Ponty's finest accomplishments. The French violinist recorded his share of fusion gems during the 1970s, and this album is at the top of the list. Often aggressive but sometimes reflective and moody, this LP is as unpredictable as it is adventurous…

As of 1976, Jean-Luc Ponty's variations on the Mahavishnu Orchestra theme were still fresh and imaginative, cast in a distinctively different, more lyrical, more controlled framework. For Imaginary Voyage, Ponty's instrumental lineup is identical to that of Mahavishnu – electric violin, guitar, keyboards, bass, drums – but he turns the emphasis on its head, with all commands coming directly from the violin (his) and less competitive crossplay emanating from his colleagues…

After a delay of nearly five years since the release (in 1996) of his final Atlantic CD, Live at Chene Park, Jean-Luc Ponty's debut for his JLP label proves to be a finely hewed masterpiece from the violinist's studio workshop. He plays many of the instruments himself (keyboards, electronic drums and percussion, and synclavier) through overdubbing on most of the tracks, although it's readily apparent that these new compositions will work in performance with the talented supporting cast of his touring band. Ponty goes it alone on the richly textured "Two Thousand-One Years Ago," and the mournful "Lonely Among All." This is easily one of Jean-Luc Ponty's most compelling releases.