Jean-Luc Ponty

Jean-Luc Ponty – No Absolute Time (1993/2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 56:50 minutes | 616 MB | Genre: Jazz, Contemporary Jazz, Fusion
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Msw

Legendary drummer Kenny Clarke compared Jean-Luc Ponty to Dizzy Gillespie. Fellow violinist Stuff Smith marveled, “He plays violin like Coltrane plays saxophone.” Born in 1942, the French violinist Jean-Luc Ponty transported jazz violin playing into the world of modern jazz. On Frank Zappa’s urging, Ponty moved to the States in 1970. Over the next years he toured with Zappa, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Chick Corea’s “Return to Forever”.
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Jean-Luc Ponty – Individual Choice (2023 Remastered Version) (1983/2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 37:14 minutes | 408 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Msw

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.

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Jean-Luc Ponty – Open Mind (2023 Remastered Version) (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 39:37 minutes | 448 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Msw

For his technique alone Jean-Luc Ponty would be acclaimed as one of the greatest violinists in jazz history, but his recordings reveal additional dimensions to his talent. Released 35 years ago this month, OPEN MIND is a perfect example; the self-produced set presents the man’s virtuoso string work with adventurous electric backing including some hypnotic synthesizer arrangements. Though guitarist George Benson and keyboardist Chick Corea appear on a couple of tracks, Ponty himself is responsible for most of what you hear, playing several instruments and programming rhythm tracks. For all the electronics involved, the feel is warm, upbeat and melodic across these six originals from the titular opener to the closing “Intuition.” Fusion fans with an OPEN MIND will find this 1984 Atlantic collection irresistible.

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Jean-Luc Ponty – Sunday Walk (1967/2022)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/88,2 kHz | Time – 38:42 minutes | 753 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © MPS

Legendary drummer Kenny Clarke compared Jean-Luc Ponty to Dizzy Gillespie. Fellow violinist Stuff Smith marveled, “He plays violin like Coltrane plays saxophone.” Born in 1942, the French violinist transported jazz violin playing into the world of modern jazz. On Frank Zappa’s urging, Ponty moved to the States in 1970. Over the next years he toured with Zappa, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Chick Corea’s “Return to Forever”. On the 1967 Sunday Walk the band saunters through two blues, a waltz, and a standard before reaching Suite for Claudia which begins at a blistering pace with Ponty’s saxophone-like “brilliance and fire” playing. It then settles into a medium swing groove with Wolfgang Dauner’s infectious piano play followed by a smoldering Ponty. Daniel Humair’s crisp drum solo segues into a heart-felt waltz. After all, this was written for Ponty’s wife. Ponty is here with a group of Europe’s finest at their youthful best. The way they play, it’s all a walk in the park…
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Jean-Luc Ponty – New Country (2022)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 43:31 minutes | 510 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Delta Music – Concert Archive

Can’t find details about this live album but it’s obviously from Cosmic Messenger Tour 1978 or 1979. Reason I ordered this album is: I wanted to hear how he sounded on concert in that time. I was on Enigmatic Ocean Tour (with Allan Holdsworth) concert in Zagreb Lisinski Hall, a year earlier than this concert, and this was the worst cacophony of sounds I ever heard on concert. To blame was croatian sound team on mixing table. And I adore Ponty in that time who was in his musical prime so you can imagine my disappointment. This one sound ok, not fantastic but ok.
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