Jean-Luc Ponty, Daniel Humair & Eddy Louiss Vol. 1 e Vol. 2

Album: Jean-Luc Ponty, Daniel Humair & Eddy Louiss Vol 1

Styles: Jazz

Year: 1991

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 45:53

Size: 105,7 MB

Art: Front

( 8:43) 1. You've Changed

( 9:33) 2. Summertime

( 6:56) 3. 'Round Midnight

(14:33) 4. So What?

( 6:05) 5. Nostalgia in Times Square

 

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. Louiss' organ is fairly original, breaking away from Jimmy Smith to hint at the avant-garde and modal music in spots while always swinging. Humair is excellent in support. The program, never before available in the U.S., is quite intriguing and enjoyable. Since it is very doubtful that Jean-Luc Ponty can be persuaded to play straight-ahead jazz again (his musical tastes have long been elsewhere although his musicianship is still in prime form), this two-fer is a must for jazz violin collectors.By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/humair-louiss-and-ponty-vol-1-mw0000899823#review

Humair Louiss Ponty Vol 1

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Album: Jean-Luc Ponty, Daniel Humair & Eddy Louiss Vol 2

Styles: Jazz

Year: 1991

File: MP3@320K/s 

Time: 49:33

Size: 114,0 MB

Art: Front

(13:42) 1. Carole's Garden

(11:54) 2. That's All

( 9:47) 3. Bag's Groove

( 9:13) 4. Sonny Moon for Two

( 4:55) 5. Ole O

 
Humair Louiss Ponty Vol 2

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Jean-Luc Ponty - King Kong

Styles: Violin Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:00
Size: 101,4 MB
Art: Front

( 4:55)  1. King Kong
( 4:03)  2. Idiot Bastard Son
( 5:36)  3. Twenty Small Cigars
( 7:17)  4. How Would You Like To Have A Head Like That
(19:25)  5. Music For Electric Violin And Low Budget Orchestra
( 2:42)  6. America Drinks And Goes Home

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. ~ Steve Huey https://www.allmusic.com/album/king-kong-jean-luc-ponty-plays-the-music-of-frank-zappa-mw0000099048

Personnel:  Jean-Luc Ponty – electric violin, baritone violectra; Frank Zappa – guitar; George Duke – piano, electric piano; Ernie Watts – alto and tenor sax;  Ian Underwood – tenor sax;  Buell Neidlinger – bass; Wilton Felder – Fender bass; Gene Estes – vibraphone, percussion;  John Guerin – drums;  Art Tripp – drums; Donald Christlieb – bassoon; Gene Cipriano – oboe, English horn; Vincent DeRosa – French horn, descant; Arthur Maebe – French horn, tuben; Jonathan Meyer – flute; Harold Bemko – cello; Milton Thomas – viola.

King Kong

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Jean-Luc Ponty - The Atlantic Years

Styles: Violin Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 83:32
Size: 196,9 MB
Art: Front

(0:47)  1. Overture
(3:59)  2. The Trans-Love Express
(2:22)  3. Imaginary Voyage, Pt. 1
(4:42)  4. Cosmic Messenger
(5:38)  5. Stay with Me
(7:18)  6. Modern Times Blues
(3:35)  7. The Struggle of the Turtle to the Sea, Part I
(3:34)  8. The Struggle of the Turtle to the Sea, Part II
(6:03)  9. The Struggle of the Turtle to the Sea, Part III
(4:06) 10. Once a Blue Planet
(4:04) 11. In the Kingdom of Peace
(4:54) 12. Mirage
(3:58) 13. Jig
(5:07) 14. The Gardens of Babylon
(5:23) 15. Elephants In Love
(2:23) 16. Enigmatic Ocean, Part l
(3:35) 17. Enigmatic Ocean, Part II
(3:45) 18. Enigmatic Ocean, Part III
(2:26) 19. Enigmatic Ocean, Part lV
(5:44) 20. Egocentric Molecules

One thing we learned Tuesday night: Enigmatic Ocean (Atlantic, 1977), violinist Jean Luc Ponty’s fourth album for Atlantic Records, is his favorite. And why not? It made it to number one on the jazz charts in 1977. Plus, it’s pretty good. The Jean Luc Ponty Band brought their Atlantic Years tour through Boulder last Tuesday, recreating the music from what is most likely Ponty’s most popular period. From 1975 through 1985, Ponty released a dozen albums on the Atlantic label and the current tour digs into over half of them to one degree or another. Enigmatic Ocean was by far the best represented with the band performing nearly the entire album during the course of the evening. In fact, only one cut, “Nostalgic Lady,” was omitted. The program also drew from Imaginary Voyage, (Atlantic, 1976), Fables (Atlantic, 1985), Mystical Adventures (Atlantic, 1982), Civilized Evil, (Atlantic, 1980), A Taste for Passion (Atlantic, 1979) and Cosmic Messenger (Atlantic, 1978). The beginning of Ponty’s Atlantic years saw him coming off a stint with the Mahavishnu Orchestra and his association with Frank Zappa, including a significant role on Zappa’s Overnite Sensation (Discreet, 1973). It was the hey-day of jazz fusion with the likes of Return to Forever and its constituent parts along with others such as Weather Report, Larry Coryell and Billy Cobham enjoying commercial and artistic success. All the jazz fusion elements came into play Tuesday night; the tight, fast playing, the impossible licks played in unison by two, three or even four band members, the quirky and ever morphing time signatures, the raging solos. That’s not to say the entire evening was a pyromaniac’s delight, Ponty definitely has a sensitive side and it showed with some acoustic numbers such as "Once a Blue Planet” from Civilized Evil and some electric ballads like “The Gardens of Babylon” from Imaginary Voyage.

Ponty has never been a purist, mixing, as he has, elements from many different musical styles over the years. That same attitude cropped up Tuesday night with a selection from one of his albums for Columbia records (which is where he went after the Atlantic years ended). The band played “Tender Memories” from Storytelling (Columbia, 1989). The main reason for the deviation from the Atlantic years was because Storytelling featured the exact same band Ponty is playing with on this tour. Most of the band members had played with Ponty before that album including on some of the later Atlantic albums, just not all at once. Drummer Rayford Griffin probably appeared on more albums from the era in question than the others. It’s no wonder Ponty likes to have him around. He easily lays down the kind of hyperactive percussion necessary to play this music right. Guitarist Jamie Glaser is another long-time Ponty associate appearing off and on during the Atlantic years and after. Ponty has always recruited one or more flame-throwing guitarists such as Daryl Stuermer and the late Allan Holdsworth and Glaser is a brother of the same flame. Bassist Baron Browne made his appearance later, but still contributed to several Ponty albums. Like Griffin, Browne is no mere time-keeper in the rhythm section, but instead provides continual counterpoint from the low end. The newest member of the group, keyboard player Wally Minto, didn’t show up until 1989. His playing, both as an accompanist and as a soloist was always tasteful, creative and virtuosic. Ponty, at 74, remains in fine form. After all these years, he still takes delight in performing this music. He smiled throughout the show, especially when he and one or two other band members nailed an intricate passage with more speed and grace than a cheetah on the hunt. His playing remains fluid and his solos endlessly imaginative. The last time Ponty was in Boulder (May 24, 2016), he was with the Anderson Ponty Band. The personnel of that band and the current one is identical except for the absence of vocalist Jon Anderson, veteran of the classic rock band Yes. The program for these shows was completely different except ABP performed “Infinite Mirage,” a reworking of “Mirage” with lyrics added by Anderson, and portions of “Enigmatic Ocean.” It’s plain the years haven’t slowed Ponty’s bow or dampened his enthusiasm for playing this highly technical, energetic and fun music. http://www.kuvo.org/post/review-jean-luc-ponty-band-atlantic-years-tour#stream/0

The Atlantic Years

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Clara Ponty - Mirror of Truth

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:37
Size: 100,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:37)  1. Glimpses Of Paradise
(3:57)  2. In Quest Of New Horizons
(3:24)  3. Mirror Of Truth
(4:08)  4. Autumn Bells
(3:05)  5. The Last Romantics
(3:06)  6. Joyous Awakening
(3:30)  7. Atlantis
(3:02)  8. Time To Say Farewell
(4:51)  9. In The Shadow Of Stars
(3:41) 10. The Paths To Wisdom
(3:02) 11. Serenity
(3:09) 12. The Cry Of The Forest

Classical artists making crossover music are usually sabotaged by a surfeit of technique and an inability to restrain themselves for emotional and musical clarity. Witness any opera singer tackling pop songs. They bludgeon them with virtuosity. That has never been pianist Clara Ponty's problem. A concert-trained pianist, she shifted gears several years ago to create music that revealed her classical background but fell into a new instrumental music netherworld. Recorded after she left New York for her childhood home in France, Mirror of Truth is her first new CD in five years. She's joined on many tracks by her father, renowned fusion violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, recording together for the first time. On tracks like the pensive "Autumn Bells," the violinist colors his daughter's moods like the sun shifting shadows. His solo on "In the Shadow of Stars" is refined elegance, full of reigned-in emotions. Compared to Embrace, Mirror of Truth is under-produced. The occasional percussion sounds like an afterthought and the ambience is more classical than the lush sheen of Embrace. But Clara Ponty's original compositions still linger with a haunted, if not always provocative, allure. ~ John Diliberto https://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Truth-Clara-Ponty/dp/B00028HP26

Personnel:  Clara Ponty  piano;  Taffa Cissé  percus;  Jean-Luc Ponty  violon, synthés;  Laurent Cirade  violoncelle;  Jeremy Lewis  contrebasse;  Patrick Manouguian  guitare

Mirror of Truth

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Jean-Luc Ponty - Aurora

Styles: Violin Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:40
Size: 89,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:04)  1. Is Once Enough?
(5:54)  2. Renaissance
(2:50)  3. Aurora Part I
(6:20)  4. Aurora Part II
(4:23)  5. Passenger Of The Dark
(5:32)  6. Lost Forest
(6:04)  7. Between You And Me
(2:29)  8. Waking Dream

Aurora is full of state-of-the-art (for 1975) high-powered fusion that differs surprisingly little from the music that Jean-Luc Ponty has played throughout the '80s and '90s. The violinist's quintet (which includes guitarist Darryl Stuermer, keyboardist Patrice Rushen, bassist Tom Fowler, and drummer Norman Fearrington) displays impeccable musicianship and lots of energy. The group was often so tight that the violin, keyboards, guitar, and (to a lesser extent) the electric bass had similar tones, sometimes making it difficult to tell who was soloing at a particular moment. Listeners open to the sound of electronics and funky grooves should be very impressed by the spirited music which combines the adventure of jazz with the sound of rock.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/aurora-mw0000309174

Personnel:  Jean-Luc Ponty – violin, autoharp, keyboards, violectra;  Daryl Stuermer – electric and acoustic guitars;  Patrice Rushen – synthesizer, piano, keyboards;  Tom Fowler – electric bass;  Norman Fearrington – drums, percussion

Aurora

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Jean-Luc Ponty - Civilized Evil

Styles: Violin Jazz
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:55
Size: 91,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:30)  1. Demagomania
(4:12)  2. In Case We Survive
(4:53)  3. Forms of Life
(5:43)  4. Peace Crusaders
(4:19)  5. Happy Robots
(5:21)  6. Shape Up Your Mind
(4:49)  7. Good Guys, Bad Guys
(4:03)  8. Once A Blue Planet

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. ~ Richard S.Ginell http://www.allmusic.com/album/civilized-evil-mw0000309112

Personnel:  Jean-Luc Ponty violon;  Joaquin Lievano guitare;  Chris Rhyne claviers;  Randy Jackson basse;  Mark Craney batterie

Civilized Evil

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Jean-Luc Ponty - Sunday Walk

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 38:41
Size: 88.6 MB
Styles: Post bop, Violin jazz
Year: 1967/2014
Art: Front

[6:27] 1. Sunday Walk
[7:45] 2. Carol's Garden
[6:02] 3. Cat Coach
[8:29] 4. You've Changed
[9:56] 5. Suite For Claudia

Although there were two earlier dates led by violinist Jean-Luc Ponty (for Palm in 1963 and Philips in 1964), this was the first album to get much circulation. Originally recorded for the German Saba label and made available in the U.S. on this Pausa LP, Ponty is heard performing in a quartet also including pianist Wolfgang Dauner, bassist Niels Pedersen and drummer Daniel Humair. The music, much more straight-ahead than Ponty's output of the 1970s, is quite advanced, looking toward John Coltrane at times. In addition to "You've Changed" (one of the few standards ever recorded by the violinist), the band performs Denny Zeitlin's "Carole's Gordon" and three group compositions, including Ponty's "Suite for Claudia." Already at this time, Jean-Luc Ponty was a highly original and brilliant player. ~Scott Yanow

Sunday Walk

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