⛳ Jean Luc Ponty Frank Zappa

The low-budget seduction of a classical/jazz violinist and an ad hoc orchestra. Kronomyth Beauty and the Harry, you’re a beast. This is basically Frank Zappa making an orchestral jazz/rock record on Dick Bock’s dime, with wonderful results. Bock had signed French violin sensation Jean-Luc Ponty to his World Pacific Jazz label but, frankly, didn’t know what to do with him. Frank did. He assembled various Mothers and talented others into an ad hoc, all-star band and gave them some of his most daunting compositions to reinterpret in a jazz fusion and small orchestra setting. The album’s centerpiece is the nearly 20-minute “Music For Electric Violin And Low-Budget Orchestra,” on which Zappa makes his most compelling case yet for consideration as a serious modern classical composer. In fact, King Kong is the first album where Zappa casts himself primarily in the role of composer; he steps into the fray only once, for the lone Ponty original, “How Would You Like To Have A Head Like That.” Ponty, for his part, finally gets some great material to work with, not to mention some great studio musicians including Ernie Watts, John Guerin, Wilton Felder and Vince DeRosa. King Kong also marks the first collaboration between Frank Zappa and George Duke, who would go on to become a permanent fixture in the Mothers. In every way, this is a quantum leap in Ponty recordings; nothing he recorded before this was as revolutionary or mind-expanding. Ponty’s violin also brings a more melodic touch to the material; “Idiot Bastard Son” has never sounded so charming, and the version of “Twenty Small Cigars” recorded here is simply gorgeous (Zappa would revisit this on Chunga’s Revenge). King Kong is a work of musical genius, a high point in the early catalog of Ponty and Zappa. Honestly, there was little in Ponty’s previous work to suggest a convergence of styles between the jazz violin prodigy and the brooding composer, but there’s no denying that the pairing is magic. Dick Bock deserves a lot of credit for bringing the two musicians together and putting artistic ideals over commercial interests; this album is as much a part of his legacy as Zappa’s or Ponty’s. Original LP Version A1. King Kong (4:54) A2. Idiot Bastard Son (4:00) A3. Twenty Small Cigars (5:35) A4. How Would You Like To Have A Head Like That (Jean-Luc Ponty) (7:14) B1. Music For Electric Violin And Low-Budget Orchestra (19:20) B2. America Drinks And Goes Home (2:39) All songs written and arranged by Frank Zappa unless noted. The Players Jean-Luc Ponty (electric violin, baritone violectra), George Duke (electric piano, piano) with Harold Bemko (cello on B1), Donald Christlieb (bassoon on B1), Gene Cipriano (oboe & English horn on B1), Vincent DeRosa (French horn & descant on B1), Gene Estes (vibes & percussion on A1), Wilton Felder (Fender bass on A2/A3/A4/B2), John Guerin (drums on A2/A3/A4/B2), Arthur Maebe (French horn & tuben on B1), Jonathan Meyer (flute on B1), Buell Neidlinger (bass on A1/B1), Milton Thomas (viola on B1), Arthur D. Tripp, III (drums on A1/B1), Ian Underwood (tenor sax on A1, conductor on B1), Ernie Watts (alto & tenor sax on A2/A3/A4/B2), Frank Zappa (guitar on A4). Produced by Richard Bock; engineered by Dick Kunc. The Pictures Art direction and design by Ron Wolin. The Plastic Released on elpee on May 25, 1970 in the US (World Pacific Jazz, ST-20172), in September 1970 in the UK (Liberty, LBS 83375) and France (Liberty, and in 1970 in Japan (Liberty, LP-8982). Re-issued on elpee and cassette in 1973 in Italy (United Artists, UASL/30 UASL 29485). Re-issued on compact disc in 1993 in the US and the UK (Blue Note, 7 89539 2). Re-released on 180g vinyl elpee in 2011 (Friday Music). Re-released on 24-bit remastered compact disc on June 20, 2012 in Japan (World acific, TOCJ-50269).

Official Discography: 1966 - Freak Out! 1967 - Absolutely Free 1969 - Mothermania 1969 - Hot Rats 1971 - 200 Motels 1972 - Waka Jawaka 1973 - Over-Nite Sensation 1976 - Zoot Allures 1978 - Studio Tan 1979 - Sleep Dirt 1979 - Orchestral Favourites 1983 - Baby Snakes 1984 - Them Or Us 1984 - Thing-Fish 1984 - Francesco Zappa 1986 - Jazz From Hell Template:BLP sources Jean-Luc PontyJean-Luc Ponty at the Nice Jazz Festival 2008Jean-Luc Ponty at the Nice Jazz Festival 2008Background informationBirth nameJean-Luc PontyBorn29 September 1942 (age 79)Avranches, FranceGenresJazz, jazz fusion, crossover jazz, bebopOccupation(s)Musician, composerInstrumentsViolin, electric violin, clarinet, saxophone, pianoYears active1958–presentLabelsAtlantic, Columbia, Blue Note, Prestige, Philips, Epic, Koch, Polygram, Productions, actsJohn McLaughlin, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Svend Asmussen, Frank Zappa, Stéphane Grappelli, Stuff Smith, Al Di Meola, Stanley Clarke, Gerald Wilson, Elton John, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, Bela Fleck, Return to Jean-Luc Ponty (born 29 September 1942) is a French jazz violinist and composer. Early life Ponty was born into a family of classical musicians on 29 September 1942 in Avranches, France. His father taught violin, his mother taught piano. At sixteen, he was admitted to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, graduating two years later with the institution's highest honor, Premier Prix (first prize). In turn, he was immediately hired by one of the major symphony orchestras, Concerts Lamoureux, in which he played for three years.[1] While still a member of the orchestra in Paris, Ponty picked up a side gig playing clarinet (which his father had taught him) for a college jazz band that regularly performed at local parties. It proved a life-changing jumping-off point. A growing interest in the jazz sounds of Miles Davis and John Coltrane compelled him to take up the tenor saxophone. One night after an orchestra concert and still wearing his formal tuxedo, Ponty found himself at a local club with only his violin. Within four years, he was widely accepted as the leading figure in "jazz fiddle". At that time, Ponty was leading a dual musical life: rehearsing and performing with the orchestra while also playing jazz until 3 at clubs throughout Paris. The demands of this schedule eventually brought him to a crossroads. "Naturally, I had to make a choice, so I took a chance with jazz," he says.[citation needed] Critic Joachim Berendt wrote that "Since Ponty, the jazz violin has been a different instrument," of his "style of phrasing that corresponds to early and middle John Coltrane" and his "brilliance and fire."[2] Success with the violin At first, the violin proved to be a handicap; few at the time viewed the instrument as having a legitimate place in the modern jazz vocabulary. With a powerful sound that eschewed vibrato, Ponty distinguished himself with be-bop-era phrasings and a punchy style influenced more by horn players than by anything previously tried on the violin; no one had yet heard anything quite like Ponty's playing. Critics said then that he was the first jazz violinist to be as exciting as a saxophonist.[citation needed] Ponty's notoriety grew by leaps and in 1964 at age 22 he released his debut solo album for Philips, Jazz Long Playing. Then a 1966 live album called Violin Summit united Ponty playing live in Basel, Switzerland on stage with such notable string players as Svend Asmussen, Stéphane Grappelli and Stuff Smith. John Lewis of The Modern Jazz Quartet invited Ponty to perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1967, which led to a recording contract with the World Pacific label and the albums Electric Connection with the Gerald Wilson Big Band and Jean-Luc Ponty Experience with the George Duke Trio. That year also brought Sunday Walk, the first collaboration between Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen and Ponty. Through the late 60s and early 70s and throughout jazz-loving Europe, Ponty achieved mounting critical praise and ongoing popularity.[citation needed] Frank Zappa and emigration to the United States In 1969 Frank Zappa composed the music for Ponty's solo album King Kong (World Pacific). In 1972 Elton John invited Ponty to contribute to his Honky Chateau album. Within a year – at the urging of Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention who wanted him to join their tour – Ponty emigrated with his wife and two young daughters to the United States and made his home in Los Angeles. He continued to work on a variety of projects – including two of John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra albums Apocalypse (1974) and Visions of the Emerald Beyond (1974) and tours until 1975, when he signed on as a solo artist with Atlantic Records. For the next decade Ponty toured the world repeatedly and recorded 12 consecutive albums, all of which reached the Billboard jazz charts top five, selling millions of albums. His early Atlantic recordings like 1976's Aurora and Imaginary Voyage firmly established Ponty as one of the leading figures in America's growing jazz-rock movement. He went on to crack the top 40 in 1977 with the Enigmatic Ocean album and again in 1978 with Cosmic Messenger. In 1984 a video featuring time-lapse images was produced by Louis Schwarzberg for the song "Individual Choice". Along with Herbie Hancock, Ponty also became one of the first jazz musicians to have a jazz (fusion) music video. Besides recording and touring with his own group, Ponty also performed some of his compositions with the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, the Radio City Orchestra in New York, as well as with symphony orchestras in Montreal, Toronto, Oklahoma City and Tokyo. In the late 80s he recorded a pair of albums, The Gift of Time (1987) and Storytelling (1989) for Columbia. On 1991's Epic-released Tchokola, Ponty combined his acoustic and electric violins, for the first time, with the powerful polyrhythmic sounds of West Africa. He also performed for two months in the and Canada with a cast of African expatriates he had encountered on the Paris music scene. In 1993 Ponty returned to Atlantic with the album No Absolute Time. Working with American and African musicians, Ponty expanded on the explorations of Tchokola with a moving and soulful result. "There is a whole scene in Paris of top-notch African musicians," he says. "I was very curious and wanted to educate myself in these rhythms, which were totally new to my ears." In 1995 Ponty joined guitarist Al Di Meola and bassist Stanley Clarke to record an acoustic album under the name The Rite of Strings. This all-star trio also undertook a six-month tour of North America, South America, and Europe that earned them intercontinental critical praise. Ponty regrouped his American band in 1996 for live performances following the release of a double CD anthology of Ponty's productions for Atlantic Records entitled Le Voyage: The Jean-Luc Ponty Anthology. One of these concerts was recorded in Detroit, Michigan, in front of 6,000 fans. It was released in February 1997 by Atlantic Records under the title Live at Chene Park. In 1997 Ponty reassembled his group of Western and African musicians in order to continue pursuing the new style of fusion music that he had begun to explore in 1991. Together they toured for three years from the Hawaiian Islands to Poland and in North America as well as in Europe. Ponty also performed a highly acclaimed duet with bassist Miroslav Vitous in December 1999. In January 2000, he participated in Lalo Schifrin's recording with a big band, Esperanto. In June 2001 Ponty performed duets with Vadim Repin, the young Russian star of classical violin, and at the Film Music Festival in Poland with American jazz violinist Regina Carter. In August 2001 Ponty released his studio CD Life Enigma on his own label ( Productions, Inc.), a return to his concept from the 70s with very modern production. Ponty played all the instruments on some tracks and was joined by his band members for performances on other tracks: William Lecomte (keyboards), Guy Nsangué Akwa (bass), Thierry Arpino (drums) and Moustapha Cissé (percussion). Ponty gave a successful concert with his band in his native town of Avranches (in the French province of Normandie) on 21 September 2001. He was also honored during a special ceremony at City Hall, gaining recognition from his compatriots. He then embarked on a successful concert tour in the USA in October–November 2001. In May 2001 Ponty recorded a concert with the same musicians at the opera house in Dresden, Germany. This recording was released in July 2002 on a CD entitled Live at Semper Opera ( Productions, Inc. – Navarre Distribution in North America and Le Chant du Monde-Harmonia Mundi in Europe). In January 2003 Ponty toured India for the first time, seven shows in six major cities for the Global Music Festival organized by Indian violinist L. Subramaniam. Ponty brought along his bassist Guy Nsangué Akwa; both performed with Subramaniam’s band and drummer Billy Cobham who was also a guest star on that tour. Ponty also did an extensive tour across the US in the autumn. In 2004 the PAL version of Ponty's first DVD Jean-Luc Ponty in Concert was released in Germany (Pirate Records 202756-9), in France-Italy-Spain (Le Chant du Monde/Hamonia Mundi 974 1195). The NTSC version was also released in 2004 in North America ( Productions, Inc./Navarre Distribution JLP 004). It contains a live concert with his band filmed in Warsaw in 1999, mixed in Dolby surround-sound audio and released with bonus materials including an 11-minute film of travels and backstage scenes. In some countries, Jean-Luc Ponty in Concert is also available on CD. Jean Luc Ponty & His Group toured in 2004 in France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Lithuania (and in Mumbai, India in their first concert as a complete ensemble). Ponty also performed on a reunion tour with Stanley Clarke and Al Di Meola as violinist in the Rite of Strings from June to October 2004 in the and Canada. In 2005 Ponty toured with a new project called Trio! in collaboration with Stanley Clarke on double bass and Béla Fleck on banjo. In 2006 Ponty reunited 'Jean Luc Ponty & His Band' and toured in the Chile, Venezuela, Western and Eastern Europe, Russia, The Middle East and India; they also recorded a new studio album called The Atacama Experience with guitarists Allan Holdsworth and Philip Catherine performing on a few tracks. In April 2012 Ponty performed in an acoustic trio format with guitarist Bireli Lagrene and bassist Stanley Clarke for the second set of a concert at the Chatelet Theatre in Paris to celebrate five decades in music. The first set featured Ponty with a string orchestra behind him. The concert was very well received, and in 2014 Ponty recorded a great jazz album entitled D-Stringz with Bireli Lagrene and Stanley Clarke for Impulse/Universal Music France. In September 2014 Ponty formed the Anderson Ponty Band with Jon Anderson, cofounder and lead singer of British progressive rock band Yes. Following the release of their CD and DVD Better Late Than Never they toured in the and Canada for a month and again in April-May 2016. Ponty has been an avid user of 5-string electric violins (with a low C string) since 1978. He sometimes also uses a 6-string electric violin called the Violectra, with both the low C and low F strings (not to be confused with the violectra he played from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s that had the usual 4 strings but tuned an octave lower). Ponty was among the first[citation needed] to combine the violin with MIDI, distortion boxes, phase shifters, and wah-wah pedals. This resulted in his signature, almost synthesizer-like sound. Work with Return to Forever In 2011, Ponty was invited by bandleader/keyboardist Chick Corea to join the group Return to Forever for a series of concerts throughout the year.[3] The group is labeled 'Return to Forever IV', as it is the fourth incarnation of the group. Ponty had first recorded with Corea on his 1976 solo album My Spanish Heart. Personal life Ponty is married and has two daughters. One daughter, Clara Ponty, is a pianist and composer; Ponty has collaborated with Clara on several projects, including her third album, Mirror of Truth (2004). Discography As a solo artist Jazz Long Playing (1964) Violin Summit (1966) Humair, Louiss, and Ponty: Trio HLP (1966) – All Life Records Sunday Walk (1967) More than Meets the Ear (1968) Live at Donte's (1969) Electric Connection (1969) Jean-Luc Ponty Experience with the George Duke Trio (1969) King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa (1970) Open Strings (1971) Live at Montreux 72 (1972) Upon the Wings of Music (1975) Aurora (1976) Imaginary Voyage (1976) Cantaloupe Island (1976, combines albums King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa and Jean-Luc Ponty Experience with the George Duke Trio) Enigmatic Ocean (1977) Cosmic Messenger (1978) Live (1979) A Taste for Passion (1979) Civilized Evil (1980) Mystical Adventures (1982) Individual Choice (1983) Open Mind (1984) Fables (1985) The Gift of Time (1987) Storytelling (1989) Tchokola (1991) No Absolute Time (1993) Le Voyage: The Jean-Luc Ponty Anthology (1996) Live at Chene Park (1997) The Very Best of Jean-Luc Ponty (2000) Life Enigma (2001) The Best of Jean-Luc Ponty (2002) Live at Semper Opera (2002) Jean-Luc Ponty in Concert (2003) (CD and DVD versions) The Atacama Experience (2007) Electric Fusion – The Atlantic Years (2011) – a 4CD compilation from Atlantic 1975–1996 albums With Frank Zappa Hot Rats (1969) Over-Nite Sensation (1973) Piquantique (1973, recorded live at Solliden, Skansen, Stockholm, Sweden on 21 August 1973, with the exception of track 4, which is taken from a concert at the Roxy, Los Angeles, CA, USA in December 1973) Apostrophe (1974) Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar (1981) The Lost Episodes (1996) One Shot Deal (2008, on only track "Australian Yellow Snow", recorded live at Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, Australia on 25 June 1973) Road Tapes, Venue 2 (2013, recorded live at Finlandia Hall, Helsinki, Finland on 23–24 August 1973) With Mahavishnu Orchestra Apocalypse (1974) Visions of the Emerald Beyond (1975) With Stéphane Grappelli Violin Summit: Stephane Grappelli, Stuff Smith, Svend Asmussen, Jean-Luc Ponty (1967, Polygram) Stéphane Grappelli / Jean-Luc Ponty (1974) Compact Jazz (1988, Polygram) With Chick Corea My Spanish Heart (Polydor, 1976) Forever (Concord, 2009 [2011]) with Stanley Clarke and Lenny White With Stanley Clarke & Al Di Meola The Rite of Strings (1995) Live in Montreux 1994 (2005) With Stanley Clarke & Biréli Lagrène D-Stringz (2014) As the AndersonPonty Band Better Late Than Never (2015) With other artists Wolfgang Dauner – Free Action (1967) George Gruntz – Noon in Tunisia (1967) Jean Luc-Ponty & Masahiko Sato Astrorama (recorded 1970, released 2011 as Ponty & Sato) New Violin Summit (with Don "Sugarcane" Harris, Michał Urbaniak, Nipso Brantner, Terje Rypdal, Wolfgang Dauner, Neville Whitehead, Robert Wyatt) (1971)[4] Michel Colombier – Wings (1971) Elton John – Honky Château (1972) Alan Sorrenti – Aria (1972) Jean-Luc Ponty & Giorgio Gaslini – Jean-Luc Ponty Meets Giorgio Gaslini (1974) Various – NDR Jazz Workshop '76 Gerald Wilson Orchestra - Eternal Equinox (Pacific Jazz, 1969) Films 1999 – L. Subramaniam: Violin from the Heart (Directed by Jean Henri Meunier. Includes a scene with Ponty performing with L. Subramaniam) References ↑ "Home | Jean Luc Ponty Official Website". Retrieved 4 July 2011. ↑ Berendt, Joachim E. (1976). The Jazz Book. Paladin. , p. 301 ↑ "News | Jean Luc Ponty Official Website". 12 January 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2011. ↑ New Violin Summit at AllMusic External links – Official website Jean-Luc Ponty video interview at "In Conversation with Jean-Luc Ponty" at by Thierry Quénum on 6 September 2008 2010 interview with Jean-Luc Ponty at by Nikola Savić on 28 September 2010 Jean-Luc Ponty's Biography & Discography at Jean-Luc Ponty's Biography & Discography at Jean-Luc Ponty's Discography at Template:Mahavishnu Orchestra Template:Jean-Luc Ponty

Jean-Luc Ponty discography and songs: Music profile for Jean-Luc Ponty, born 29 September 1942. Genres: Jazz Fusion, Jazz-Rock. Albums include Enigmatic Ocean, Cosmic Messenger, and King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa.

Jean-Luc Ponty (born September 29, 1942, Avranches, France) is a French violinist. He started on violin at the age of five, taught by his father (the Director of the School of Music in Avranches), while his mother tutored him on piano. At 15, he was accepted into the Paris Conservatoire, and ultimately won the "Premier Prix" at age 17. A stint in the "Concerts Lamoureux Orchestra" for three years ensued, during which he became interested in jazz (playing it first on the clarinet and tenor sax). Ponty visited the for the first time in 1967, at a Monterey Jazz Festival workshop. He signed with a record label, and began working with an "unknown" pianist, George Duke. Through the label, Jean-Luc met FZ, who had been hired to arrange his music for Ponty's next album. This arrangement led to Jean-Luc providing violin for Hot Rats, and to his touring with Frank in '70 & '73. Along with Hot Rats, Ponty provided violin and/or baritone violin for Over-Nite Sensation, Apostrophe ('), Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar set, You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 6, and The Lost Episodes; also for the Beat The Boots series disks Piquantique (BTB) & Disconnected Synapses (BTB). FZ and Jean-Luc Ponty ended their relationship on less than friendly terms; though it would appear that their relationship was beneficial for both. Jean-Luc became a pioneer of the electric violin in jazz-rock in the '70s, augmenting it with devices associated with Zappa: like echoplex, distortion boxes, phase shifters, and wah-wah pedals. There are other parallels: (from an interview in "le jazz" (webzine), 4/22/1997, by Alain Le Roux) Ponty - "Improvisation is sometimes equal and often greater [than composing]. What I write is actually improvised, since I improvise the material first...in my own productions since the 1980's, I use the synclavier. I record some ideas immediately, digitally, in the synclavier, then I come back later and add other layers on top, and so on. Of course there are some sections left open for [even more]] improvisation." In 2015 Ponty collaborated with Jon Anderson from the band Yes. See also Tracey Ullman. "King Kong" (LP, Pacific Jazz ST 20172, May 25, 1970) External links Wikipedia:Jean-Luc Ponty As of 2023, Jean-Luc Ponty’s net worth is $100,000 - $1M. DETAILS BELOW. Jean-Luc Ponty (born September 29, 1942) is famous for being violinist. He currently resides in Avranches, France. French jazz and rock violinist who has also worked as a composer and who has worked with artists like Frank Zappa. Source of Money.

Jean-Luc Ponty AllMusic Rating 8 User Ratings (0) Your Rating Overview ↓ User Reviews ↓ Credits ↓ Releases ↓ Similar Albums ↓ Not just an album of interpretations, King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa was an active collaboration; Frank Zappa arranged all of the selections, played guitar on one, and contributed a new, nearly 20-minute orchestral composition for the occasion. Made in the wake of Ponty's appearance on Zappa's jazz-rock masterpiece Hot Rats, these 1969 recordings were significant developments in both musicians' careers. In terms of jazz-rock fusion, Zappa was one of the few musicians from the rock side of the equation who captured the complexity -- not just the feel -- of jazz, and this project was an indicator of his growing credibility as a composer. For Ponty's part, King Kong marked the first time he had recorded as a leader in a fusion-oriented milieu (though Zappa's brand of experimentalism didn't really foreshadow Ponty's own subsequent work). Of the repertoire, three of the six pieces had previously been recorded by the Mothers of Invention, and "Twenty Small Cigars" soon would be. Ponty writes a Zappa-esque theme on his lone original "How Would You Like to Have a Head Like That," where Zappa contributes a nasty guitar solo. The centerpiece, though, is obviously "Music for Electric Violin and Low Budget Orchestra," a new multi-sectioned composition that draws as much from modern classical music as jazz or rock. It's a showcase for Zappa's love of blurring genres and Ponty's versatility in handling everything from lovely, simple melodies to creepy dissonance, standard jazz improvisation to avant-garde, nearly free group passages. In the end, Zappa's personality comes through a little more clearly (his compositional style pretty much ensures it), but King Kong firmly established Ponty as a risk-taker and a strikingly original new voice for jazz violin. blue highlight denotes track pick

King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa (or simply King Kong) is an album by French jazz fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty first released in 1970 on Liberty Records ' World Pacific Records subsidiary label and later released on Blue Note. The album contains numerous selections Zappa had previously recorded either with the Mothers of W wrześniu, 79 lat temu urodził się jeden z największych skrzypków w historii nie tylko jazzu, ale i muzyki w ogóle. Człowiek, który przejął pałeczkę po Stephanie Greppellim i stanął w forpoczcie ekipy, która wyniosła ów instrument na nowy poziom. Muzyk, o którego albumach mogę powiedzieć, że są prawdziwą biblią, wzorcem z Sevres dla muzyki fusion – Jean-Luc Ponty. Ponty miał zdecydowanie łatwiejszy start, niż większość wojennego i powojennego pokolenia. Jego rodzice grali na co dzień muzykę klasyczną, matka na fortepianie, ojciec na skrzypcach. Stąd prosta droga do grania od najmłodszych lat. Ponty okazała się tym „cudowym dzieckiem”, w wieku 16 lat dostał się na słynne Konserwatorium Paryskie, które ukończył z najwyższymi wyróżnieniami. W międzyczasie ojciec nauczył go grać także na klarnecie, a Ponty skosztował muzyki Milesa i Coltrane’a – i tak ziarno niepewności, co do kariery muzyka klasycznego, zostało zasiane. W ciągu dnia był wirtuozem skrzypiec w filharmoniach, wieczoram uciekał do jazzowych klubów, gdzie pomykał na saksofonie. W końcu nadszedł moment wyboru… Dziś te rozterki brzmią jak z XIX-wiecznej powieści, w latach 60. były tak naprawdę bardzo typowe. Identyczny konflikt przeżywał Michał Urbaniak czy Jerry Goodman, przyszła podpora Mahavishnu Orchestra, choć ten drugi od klasyki uciekał do hipisowskiego rocka. Jaki był ostateczny wybór, dobrze wiemy. Oczywisty nie był za to wybór instrumentu. Skrzypce przecież jeszcze niedawno były instrumentem zarezerwowanym dla ludowych kapel. Ilu wielkich skrzypków znał w latach 60. jazz, poza Grappellim i Stuffem Smithem? Na jakich albumach, zaliczanych do ścisłego kanonu kllasycznego jazzu można było usłyszeć skrzypce? Ponty jednak zaryzykował – i zaczął robić furorę… ale tylko w Europie. Pierwsze albumy, nagrywane w klasyczych składach, wydawano wyłącznie we Francji. Tym, co trzeba chociaż raz usłyszeć, jest wyśmienite „Jazz Long Playing” z 1964 r. Kawał dobrego, klasycznego jazzu ze znakomitymi, wirtuozowskimi solówkami. Była to jednak zdecydowanie muzyka przeszłości, powrót do dawnych, be-bopowych czasów. Jakie więc były nadzieje dla tego instrumentu na przyszłość? Zanim przyszła odpowiedź, było spore zainteresowaniem muzykiem w całej Europie. Ponty pojawiał się na różnych festiwalach, a w 1966 wystąpił w Szwajcarii na jednej scenie, z dotychczasowymi gigantami instrumentu – Grappellim, Smithem czy duńczykiem Svendem Asmussenem. Kolejnym krokiem było podpisanie kontraktu z niemieckim labelem SABA, który gromadził młode, nowocześnie grający talenty ze Starego Kontynentu. Nagrał dla nich świetne „Sunday Walk”, postępowe jeśli chodzi o technikę gry na skrzypcach, oraz „More Than Meets the Ear”, wkraczające powoli w nową erę – są akcenty free, nietypowe zabiegi aranżacyjny czy cover beatelsowskiego „With a Little Help From My Friends”. Ale zdecydowanie ciekawsze są dwa inne albumy, na których wystąpił Ponty. Pierwszy to skręcający w stronę awangardy „Free Action” niemieckiego pianisty – Wolfganga Daunera. Tu już nie ma swingujących temacików, jest konfrontacja z młodymi, wkurzonymi jazzmanami. Do akcji poszło nawet preparowane piano. Oprócz tego jest jeszcze jedna perełka, która powala swoim zamysłem i rozmachem oraz każe nam się zastanowić, czemu tak dużo wiemy o jazzie amerykańskim, gdy dosłownie obok nas nagrywano tak potężną miksturę jazzu i autentycznej muzyki arabskiej – „Noon in Tunisia” autorstwa pianisty, kompozytora i dyrygenta George Gruntza. Na sesję załapał się także i Ponty. Znakomitych muzyków w kręgu młodej, jazzowej awangardy końca lat 60. było wielu, ale mało któremu udało się przebić. Ponty miał, oprócz talentu, także i szczęście. W 1969 roku został zaproszony na koncerty na zachodnie wybrzeże USA, gdzie ktoś postanowił go ustawić z innym, obiecującym pianistą – Georgem Dukiem. Chociaż obaj panowie świetnie bawili się grając popularne tematy ( „Cantalope Island”), miks elektrycznego piania i elektrycznych skrzypiec zrobił furorę. Koncertowe nagranie, wydane jako „The Jean-Luc Ponty Experience” to jeden z protoplastów jazz-rocka. Nagranie nie przyniosło mu co prawdy natychmiastowej sławy, ale obaj muzycy mieli szczęście raz jeszcze – na jednym z koncertów siedział Frank Zappa. Niedługo potem obaj wskoczyli z nim do studia. Ponty zagrał na „Hot Rats”, dziś albumie o statusie kultowego, a Zappa napisał i zaaranżował dla Francuza szereg absolutnie genialnych utworów. Wydaje się jednak, że albo Ponty nie dostał szansy na pociągnięcie dalej tego artystycznego sukcesu. Z czysto prozaicznych przyczyn – kłopoty z otrzymaniem wizy. Nawet John McLaughlin próbował ściągnąć skrzypka do swojego zespołu, ale okazało się, że byłoby to zwyczajnie zbyt trudne. Być może sam Ponty potrzebował też czasu, aby dorosnąć artystycznie. Z punktu, który może wydawać się szczytem, Ponty zszedł ponownie do kręgu awangardy, gdzie przez parę lat nagrywał z rozmaitymi muzykami, ale ciężki mi określić któreś z jego nagrań mianem znakomitego. Był świetny występ na europejskim Violin Summit w 1971 r., a tam soczysty duet z Urbaniakiem (wydane na labelu MPS). Był krótki występ na „Honky Chateau” Eltona Johna oraz mało znanym albumie „Aria” włoskiego wokalsty z kręgu rocka progresywnego. Były w końcu autorskie „Open Strings” i rejestracja koncertu z Montreux w 1972 roku, tylko żadna z nich nie jest albumem na miarę swoich czasów. Są też różne rejestracje wideo, takie jak ta poniższa, która każą się zastanawiać czemu Ponty nie wszedł do studia z silnym, elektrycznym składek? Jak sam skrzypek odpowiedział mi, w wywiadzie na potrzeby powstającej książki o Mahavishnu Orchestra: “Byliśmy młodzi i generalnie skupialiśmy się na eksperymentach. Mieliśmy z tego powodu dużo radości i ciągle uczyliśmy się od siebie nawzajem”. Podejrzewam jednak, że za tymi latami fonograficznego zastoju mogły stać inne przyczyny. Niezależnie od tego, ten moment przełomu w końcu nadszedł. Najpierw ponownie pojawił się Zappa. Ponty odbył z nim długą trasę (polecam znakomite, choć absurdalnie drogie wydawnictwo CD „Road Tapes, Venue #2”) oraz wpadł do studia, udzielając się w utworach, które trafiły na fantastyczne LP „Over-Nite Sensation” i „Apostrophe(‘)”. A potem ponownie odezwał się McLaughlin, który na samym początku 1974 roku rozwiązał zespół, by za chwilę stworzyć nową Orkiestrę. Ponty zaproszenie przyjął i nagrał z gitarzystą jeden z najbardziej powalających albumów lat 70. – wsparte przez orkiestrę „Apocalypse”. A zaraz po tym ruszył z nim trasę, która – moim skromnym zdaniem – jest jedną z najpiękniejszych rzeczy, jakie przydarzyły się muzyce jazzowej. Ekipa bardzo szybko się rozpadła, a za wszystkiem miał stać dość despotyczny charakter McLaughlina, który nie przyznał koledze żadnych „creditsów” na drugim albumie nowego Mahavishnu Orchestra –„Visions of the Emerald Beyond”. Ponty nie rozpoczał, szybko dostał propozycję dołączenia do Return To Forever, z czego grzecznie zrezygnował, bo pojawił się także kontrakt z Atlanticu. Kontrakt, który rozpoczął absolutnie nowy rozdział w muzyce fusion. O muzyce, nagraj w latach 1975-1980, można by pisać długo. Aby uniknąć jednak wodospadu słodkich przymiotników, powtórzę wyrażone wcześniej zdanie – to biblia muzyki jazz-rockowej. Ponty znalazł idealną formułę na połączenie jazzu z elektrycznymi, nowoczesnymi formami, kojarzącymi się z tym, co wyczyniali przedstawiciele rocka progresywnego. Do tego dobierał genialnych współpracowników, którzy idealnie realizowali jego koncepcje. Na przypomnienie zasługuje geniusz syntezatorów – Allan Zavod. Częścią tego sukcesu była po części elektronika, a konkretnie rozmaite efekty, który ogromnie rozwijały możliwości gry na skrzypcach. Sam Ponty szybko zresztą zaczął interesować się instrumentami klawiszowymi, w jego muzyce pojawiały się elementy ambientu czy nowoczesnej elektroniki. Wraz z albumami „Mystical Adventures” czy „Individual Choice” z pozytywnym efektem eksplorował nowe rejony. Na tym ostatnim zagrał także ponownie, po „Enigmatic Ocean” z 1977 roku, ze wspaniałym Allanem Holdsworthem Lata 80. były jednak bezlitosne, granica między ciekawymi brzmieniami elektroniki a kiczem była cienka. Ponty stąpał po ludzie, który raz elegancko się trzymał, a raz pękał. Przyzwoite, ale coraz dalsze od dawnych lat świetności albumy, ładnie przełamała „Tchokola” – płyta łącząca jazz z bardziej popowo potraktowaną muzyką afrykańską. Równie ciekawy okazał się także reunion z dawnymi znajomymi – Stanleyem Clarkiem i Alem Di Meolą, którzy stworzyli akustyczny projekt „Rite of the Strings”. Ostatnie dwie dekady nie były już tak płodne, ale Francuzowi udało się cały czas trzymać fason i kolejne albumy to wciąż miłe reminescencje jego dawnych, jazz-rockowych pomysłów. To samo się tyczy koncertów. Miałem przyjemność słuchać Ponty’ego w 2009 roku w Poznaniu i występ był zdecydowanie powyżej moich nie tak małych oczekiwań. A czym się zajmuje Ponty dziś? Komponuje, aranżuje i… nagrywa album z Jonem Andersonem, czołowym wokalistą dawnego Yes. Who is Jean Luc-Ponty? Well, he's a violinist who gained notoriety after many stints with the Mothers of Invention, and this 1969 album proves his connection with the group, with the entire album (save for one piece) being slightly re-arranged Frank Zappa songs.

Jean-Luc Ponty - King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa (1970) [Vinyl] Artist: Title: King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa (1970) Year Of Release: 2011 Label: Friday Music Genre: Jazz, Fusion Quality: FLAC (tracks) [24/96] [Vinyl, LP] Total Time: 44:41 Total Size: 957 MB RE-UP Jean-Luc Ponty - The Very Best (2000) Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty Title: The Very Best Year Of Release: 2000 Label: Rhino Genre: Crossover Jazz, Fusion Quality: FLAC (image+.cue, log, Artwork) Total Time: 78:41 Total Size: 503 MB RE-UP Jean Luc Ponty - Jean-Luc Ponty in Concert (1999) Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty Title: Jean-Luc Ponty in Concert Year Of Release: October 23, 1999 Label: JLP Productions Genre: Jazz, Fusion, Smooth Jazz Quality: MP3, 320 Kbps Total Time: 01:10:53 Total Size: 187 MB Re-Up Jean-Luc Ponty - More Than Meets The Ear (1968) Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty Title: More Than Meets The Ear Year Of Release: 1968 Label: World Pacific Genre: Jazz, Fusion Quality: MP3, 320 Kbps Total Time: 34:34 Total Size: MB Re-Up Jean-Luc Ponty - Electric Connection (1969) 320 Kbps Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty Title: Electric Connection Year Of Release: March 3, 1969 - March 4, 1969 Label: One Way Records Genre: Jazz, Fusion Quality: MP3, 320 Kbps Total Time: 38:43 Total Size: MB Re-Up Jean-Luc Ponty - The Best of Jean-Luc Ponty (2002) FLAC Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty Title: The Best of Jean-Luc Ponty Year Of Release: May 11, 1987–March 27, 1991 Label: Columbia Genre: Jazz, Smooth jazz, Fusion, Jazz-Rock Quality: Flac lossless Total Time: 56:49 Total Size: 361 MB Re-Up Jean-Luc Ponty - Original Album Series (5CD-BOX) 2012 Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty Title: Original Album Series Year Of Release: 2012 Label: Warner Music [8122-796920-0] Genre: Jazz, Fusion, Electric Violin Quality: FLAC (*tracks) Total Time: 03:11:16 Total Size: 1,19 GB (+5%rec.) Re-Up Jean-Luc Ponty - Electric Connection (1969/2018) Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty Title: Electric Connection Year Of Release: 1969/2018 Label: CM BLUE NOTE (A92) Genre: Jazz, Fusion Quality: 320 kbps | FLAC (tracks) Total Time: 00:40:29 Total Size: 95 mb | 268 mb Jean-Luc Ponty - Aurora (1975) Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty Title: Aurora Year Of Release: 1975 Label: Wounded Bird Records Genre: Jazz, Fusion, Jazz-Funk Quality: FLAC (tracks) Total Time: 38:04 Total Size: 214 MB RE-UP Jean-Luc Ponty - More Than Meets The Ear (1969) CD Rip Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty Title: More Than Meets The Ear Year Of Release: 1969 Label: One Way Records[S21-17605] Genre: Jazz, Fusion Quality: FLAC (Image + .cue,log,scans) Total Time: 34:34 Total Size: 234 MB(+3%) Jean-Luc Ponty - The Atlantic Years (2018) Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty Title: The Atlantic Years Year Of Release: 2018 Label: Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group Genre: Jazz, Fusion Quality: 320 kbps | FLAC (tracks) Total Time: 01:23:23 Total Size: 196 mb | 535 mb Jean-Luc Ponty - The Acatama Experience (2007) Flac Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty Title: The Acatama Experience Year Of Release: 2007 Label: Koch Records[KOC-CD-4233] Genre: Jazz, Contemporary Jazz Quality: FLAC (image + .cue,log,scans) Total Time: 59:06 Total Size: 383 MB(+3%) Re-Up Jean-Luc Ponty - With Kurt Edelhagen and His Orchestra (2001) 320 kbps Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty Title: With Kurt Edelhagen and His Orchestra Year Of Release: 2001 Label: Stardust Genre: Jazz Quality: MP3/320 kbps Total Time: 37:56 Total Size: 90 MB(+3%) Re-Up Jean-Luc Ponty - New Violin Summit (1971) Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty Title: New Violin Summit Year Of Release: 1971 Label: MPS Records Genre: Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Rock Quality: Mp3, 320 Kbps Total Time: 79:39 Total Size: MB Re-Up Jean-Luc Ponty King Kong: Jean-Luc - Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa (1969) Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty Title: King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa Year Of Release: March 14, 1969 - March 15, 1969 Label: Blue Note Genre: Jazz, Fusion, Jazz Rock Quality: MP3, 320 Kbps Total Time: 43:42 Total Size: MB Re-Up Jean-Luc Ponty - The Jean-Luc Ponty Experience (1969) FLAC Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty, George Duke Title: The Jean-Luc Ponty Experience Year Of Release: 1969 Label: One Way Records Genre: Jazz, Fusion Quality: Flac lossless Total Time: 39:26 Total Size: 243 MB Jean-Luc Ponty - Live at Chene Park (1996) FLAC Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty Title: Live at Chene Park Year Of Release: June 29, 1996 Label: Atlantic Genre: Jazz, Post Bop, Fusion Quality: Flac lossless Total Time: 01:10:56 Total Size: 524 MB Jean-Luc Ponty - A Taste For Passion (1979) Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty Title: A Taste For Passion Year Of Release: June, 1979 - July, 1979 Label: Atlantic Genre: Jazz, Smooth Jazz, Fusion Quality: MP3, 320 Kbps Total Time: 39:55 Total Size: MB Re-Up Jean-Luc Ponty - The Best of the Pacific Jazz Years (2001) 320 kbps Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty Title: The Best of the Pacific Jazz Years Year Of Release: 2001 Label: Pacific Records Genre: Jazz, Crossover Jazz, Jaz Fusion Quality: MP3/320 kbps Total Time: 62:21 Total Size: 147 MB(+3%) Re-Up Jean-Luc Ponty - With Kurt Edelhagen and His Orchest (2001) Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty Title: With Kurt Edelhagen and His Orchestra Year Of Release: 2001 Label: Stardust [CRCL-8855] Genre: Jazz Quality: FLAC (image + .cue,log,scans) Total Time: 37:56 Total Size: 151 MB(+3%) Re-Up

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jean luc ponty frank zappa