Jean-Luc Ponty
Encyclopedia
Jean-Luc PontyJean-Luc Ponty (born 29 September 1942, Avranches
, France
) is a French virtuoso
violin
ist and jazz
composer
.
, 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 award, Premier Prix. In turn, he was immediately hired by one of the major symphony orchestras, Concerts Lamoureux, where he played for three years.
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, 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.
for Philips, Jazz Long Playing
. A 1966 live album called Violin Summit united Ponty on stage in Basel, Switzerland with such notable string talents as Svend Asmussen
, Stéphane Grappelli
and Stuff Smith
.
In 1967, John Lewis
of The Modern Jazz Quartet
invited Ponty to perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival
. Jean-Luc's first-ever American appearance garnered thunderous applause and led to a U.S. 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
. 1967 also brought Sunday Walk, the first collaboration between Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen and Ponty. Through the late 60s and early 70s, Ponty achieved mounting critical praise and popularity across Europe.
composed the music for Jean-Luc'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 America and made his home in Los Angeles. He continued to work on a variety of projects — including a pair of John McLaughlin
Mahavishnu Orchestra albums and tours (Apocalypse
and Visions of the Emerald Beyond
) until 1975, when he signed on as a solo artist with Atlantic Records
.
For the next decade, Jean-Luc toured the world repeatedly and recorded 12 consecutive albums which all reached the top 5 on the Billboard jazz charts and sold millions of copies. Early Atlantic recordings, such as 1976's Aurora and Imaginary Voyage, firmly established him as a figurehead 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 became one of the first jazz musicians to have a 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 and Storytelling 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 U.S. 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, Jean-Luc 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. One of these concerts was recorded in Detroit, Michigan
, in front of 6000 fans. It was released in February 1997 by Atlantic Records
under the title Live at Chene Park.
In 1997, Jean-Luc Ponty put back together his group of Western and African musicians pursuing this new fusion that he started in 1991. Together they toured for 3 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 also with American jazz violinist Regina Carter
at the Film Music Festival in Poland.
In August 2001, Jean-Luc Ponty released his studio CD Life Enigma on his own label (J.L.P. 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 (J.L.P. Productions, Inc. – Navarre Distribution in North America and Le Chant du Monde-Harmonia Mundi in Europe).
In January 2003, Jean-Luc toured India for the first time, seven shows in six major cities for the Global Music Festival organized by Indian violinist L. Subramaniam. Jean-Luc 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 U.S.A. in the autumn.
In 2004, the PAL version of Jean-Luc Ponty’s first DVD 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 (J.L.P. Productions, Inc./Navarre Distribution JLP 004). It contains a live concert with his band filmed in Warsaw in 1999, mixed in 5.1 plus bonus materials, such as an 11-minute film of travels and backstage scenes. In Concert is also available on CD in some countries.
Jean Luc Ponty & His Group toured in 2004 in France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Lithuania and India, for their first concert as a whole band in Bombay. Ponty also did a reunion tour with Stanley Clarke and Al Di Meola as the Rite of Strings from June to October 2004 in the U.S.A. and Canada.
In 2005, Ponty toured with a new project called Trio! in collaboration with Stanley Clarke
on double bass and Bela Fleck
on banjo.
In 2006 Ponty reunited "Jean Luc Ponty & His Band" and toured in the USA, 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
appearing on a few tracks.
Jean-Luc Ponty has been an avid user of 5-string electric violins with a lower C string since 1977. He sometimes also uses a 6-string electric violin called the Violectra
, with low C and F strings (not to be confused with the violectra he played from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s which had 4 strings, but tuned an octave lower). Ponty was among the first to combine the violin with MIDI, distortion boxes, phase shifters, and wah-wah pedals. This resulted in his signature, almost synthesizer
-like sound.
to join the group Return to Forever
for a series of concerts throughout the year. The group is labeled "Return to Forever IV," as it is the fourth incarnation of the group.
, is a successful pianist and composer; he has collaborated with her on several projects, including her latest album, Mirror of Truth.
Avranches
Avranches is a commune in the Manche department in the Basse-Normandie region in north-western France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. The inhabitants are called Avranchinais.-History:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) is a French virtuoso
Virtuoso
A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Early years
Ponty was born into a family of classical musicians on 29 September 1942 in Avranches, France. His father taught violinViolin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, his mother taught piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. At sixteen, he was admitted to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
, graduating two years later with the institution's highest award, Premier Prix. In turn, he was immediately hired by one of the major symphony orchestras, Concerts Lamoureux, where he played for three years.
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
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
and John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
compelled him to take up the tenor saxophone
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
. One night after an orchestra concert, 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.
Orchestra and jazz clubs
At that time, Ponty was leading a dual musical life: rehearsing and performing with the orchestra while also playing jazz until 3 a.m. 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", says Jean-Luc. Ponty's attraction to jazz was propelled by Miles Davis's and John Coltrane's music, which led him to adopt the electric violin. 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".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, Jean-Luc distinguished himself with be-bop-era phrasings and a punchy style influenced more by horn players than by anything previously tried on the violin; nobody had heard anything quite like it before. Critics said then that he was the first jazz violinist to be as exciting as a saxophonist. Ponty's notoriety grew with remarkable leaps and by 1964, at age 22, he released his debut solo albumSolo album
A solo album, in popular music, is an album headlined by a current or former member of a band. A solo album may feature simply one person performing all instruments, but typically features the work of other collaborators; rather, it may be made with different collaborators than the artist is...
for Philips, Jazz Long Playing
Jazz Long Playing
Jazz Long Playing is Jean-Luc Ponty's debut album recorded in Paris in June and July 1964. It was reissued in 2007. Jazz Long Playing - Import version was believed to be released Jan 01, 2008...
. A 1966 live album called Violin Summit united Ponty on stage in Basel, Switzerland with such notable string talents as Svend Asmussen
Svend Asmussen
Svend Asmussen is a jazz violinist from Denmark, known as "The Fiddling Viking". Asmussen grew up in a musical family, starting violin lessons at age 7. At age 16 he first heard recordings by jazz violin great Joe Venuti and began to emulate his style...
, Stéphane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli was a French jazz violinist who founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands....
and Stuff Smith
Stuff Smith
Hezekiah Leroy Gordon Smith , better known as Stuff Smith, was a jazz violinist. He is known well for the song "If You're a Viper".-Biography:...
.
In 1967, John Lewis
John Lewis (pianist)
John Aaron Lewis was an American jazz pianist and composer best known as the musical director of the Modern Jazz Quartet.- Early life:...
of The Modern Jazz Quartet
Modern Jazz Quartet
The Modern Jazz Quartet was established in 1952 by Milt Jackson , John Lewis , Percy Heath , and Kenny Clarke . Connie Kay replaced Clarke in 1955...
invited Ponty to perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival
Monterey Jazz Festival
The Monterey Jazz Festival is one of the longest consecutively running jazz festivals. It debuted on October 3, 1958 and was founded by San Francisco jazz radio broadcaster Jimmy Lyons.-History:...
. Jean-Luc's first-ever American appearance garnered thunderous applause and led to a U.S. recording contract with the World Pacific label and the albums Electric Connection with the Gerald Wilson Big Band
Gerald Wilson
Gerald Stanley Wilson is an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer/arranger, 8 time Grammy nominee, and educator. He has been based in Los Angeles since the early 1940s....
and Jean-Luc Ponty Experience with the George Duke Trio
Jean-Luc Ponty Experience with the George Duke Trio
The Jean-Luc Ponty Experience with The George Duke Trio is a Jazz album released in 1969 by Jean-Luc Ponty on World Pacific Jazz in the US, and is considered to be one of the earliest fusion jazz albums...
. 1967 also brought Sunday Walk, the first collaboration between Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen and Ponty. Through the late 60s and early 70s, Ponty achieved mounting critical praise and popularity across Europe.
Frank Zappa and emigration to America
In 1969, Frank ZappaFrank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
composed the music for Jean-Luc's solo album King Kong
King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa
King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa is an album by French jazz fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty first released in 1970 on Liberty Records' World Pacific Records subsidiary label...
(World Pacific). In 1972, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
invited Ponty to contribute to his Honky Chateau
Honky Château
Honky Château is the fifth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1972. In 2003, the album was ranked number 357 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. It was certified Gold on 7/24/1972 and Platinum on 10/11/1995 by the R.I.A.A...
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 America and made his home in Los Angeles. He continued to work on a variety of projects — including a pair of John McLaughlin
John McLaughlin (musician)
John McLaughlin , also known as Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, is an English guitarist, bandleader and composer...
Mahavishnu Orchestra albums and tours (Apocalypse
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
and Visions of the Emerald Beyond
Visions of the Emerald Beyond
Visions of the Emerald Beyond is an album by the jazz fusion group Mahavishnu Orchestra, and the second released by its second incarnation....
) until 1975, when he signed on as a solo artist with Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
.
For the next decade, Jean-Luc toured the world repeatedly and recorded 12 consecutive albums which all reached the top 5 on the Billboard jazz charts and sold millions of copies. Early Atlantic recordings, such as 1976's Aurora and Imaginary Voyage, firmly established him as a figurehead 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
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
, Ponty became one of the first jazz musicians to have a music video.
Besides recording and touring with his own group, Ponty also performed some of his compositions with the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble
Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble
The Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble is an American ensemble dedicated to the performance of contemporary classical music. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the group was established by composer David Stock in 1976. It has premiered over 200 works and is a major regional cultural attraction...
, the Radio City Orchestra in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, as well as with symphony orchestras in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. In the late 80s, he recorded a pair of albums, The Gift of Time and Storytelling for Columbia.
On 1991's Epic
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
-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 U.S. 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, Jean-Luc expanded on the explorations of Tchokola
Tchokola
Tchokola is an album by french Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 1991.The rhythm section was recorded on analog tape. All other recording was digitally recorded.- Track listing :...
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
Al Di Meola
Al Di Meola is an acclaimed American jazz fusion and Latin guitarist, composer, and record producer of Italian origin. With a musical career that has spanned more than three decades, he has become respected as one of the most influential guitarists in jazz to date...
and bassist Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores...
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. One of these concerts was recorded in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, in front of 6000 fans. It was released in February 1997 by Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
under the title Live at Chene Park.
In 1997, Jean-Luc Ponty put back together his group of Western and African musicians pursuing this new fusion that he started in 1991. Together they toured for 3 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
Miroslav Vitouš
Miroslav Ladislav Vitouš , is a Czech jazz bassist.-Biography:Born in Prague, he began the violin at age six, and started playing the piano at age ten, and bass at fourteen. As a young man in Europe, Vitouš was a competitive swimmer. One of his early music groups was the Junior Trio with his...
in December 1999. In January 2000, he participated in Lalo Schifrin
Lalo Schifrin
Lalo Schifrin is an Argentine composer, pianist and conductor. He is best known for his film and TV scores, such as the "Theme from Mission: Impossible". He has received four Grammy Awards and six Oscar nominations...
's recording with a big band, Esperanto. In June 2001, Ponty performed duets with Vadim Repin
Vadim Repin
Vadim Repin is a Belgian Russian violinist who currently lives in Austria....
, the young Russian star of classical violin and also with American jazz violinist Regina Carter
Regina Carter
Regina Carter is an American jazz violinist. She is the cousin of famous jazz saxophonist James Carter.-Early life:...
at the Film Music Festival in Poland.
In August 2001, Jean-Luc Ponty released his studio CD Life Enigma on his own label (J.L.P. 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 (J.L.P. Productions, Inc. – Navarre Distribution in North America and Le Chant du Monde-Harmonia Mundi in Europe).
In January 2003, Jean-Luc toured India for the first time, seven shows in six major cities for the Global Music Festival organized by Indian violinist L. Subramaniam. Jean-Luc brought along his bassist Guy Nsangué Akwa; both performed with Subramaniam’s band and drummer Billy Cobham
Billy Cobham
William C. Cobham is a Panamanian American jazz drummer, composer and bandleader, who has called Switzerland home since the late 1970s....
who was also a guest star on that tour. Ponty also did an extensive tour across the U.S.A. in the autumn.
In 2004, the PAL version of Jean-Luc Ponty’s first DVD 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 (J.L.P. Productions, Inc./Navarre Distribution JLP 004). It contains a live concert with his band filmed in Warsaw in 1999, mixed in 5.1 plus bonus materials, such as an 11-minute film of travels and backstage scenes. In Concert is also available on CD in some countries.
Jean Luc Ponty & His Group toured in 2004 in France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Lithuania and India, for their first concert as a whole band in Bombay. Ponty also did a reunion tour with Stanley Clarke and Al Di Meola as the Rite of Strings from June to October 2004 in the U.S.A. and Canada.
In 2005, Ponty toured with a new project called Trio! in collaboration with Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores...
on double bass and Bela Fleck
Béla Fleck
Béla Anton Leoš Fleck is an American banjo player. Widely acknowledged as one of the world's most innovative and technically proficient banjo players, he is best known for his work with the bands New Grass Revival and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones.-Early life and career details:Fleck was born in...
on banjo.
In 2006 Ponty reunited "Jean Luc Ponty & His Band" and toured in the USA, 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
Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth is an English guitarist and composer. He has released twelve studio albums as a solo artist and played many different styles of music over a period of four decades, but first drew attention for his work in jazz fusion...
and Philip Catherine
Philip Catherine
Philip Catherine is a Belgian jazz guitarist.-Biography:He was born in London from an English mother and Belgian father....
appearing on a few tracks.
Jean-Luc Ponty has been an avid user of 5-string electric violins with a lower C string since 1977. He sometimes also uses a 6-string electric violin called the Violectra
Violectra
Violectra is the trade name of an electric violin produced by Barcus-Berry with the pitch equivalent of an acoustic tenor violin, sometimes called baritone violin. It is tuned an octave below normal violin; i.e. between viola and cello. It was developed in USA by Barcus-Berry in the early 1960s but...
, with low C and F strings (not to be confused with the violectra he played from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s which had 4 strings, but tuned an octave lower). Ponty was among the first to combine the violin with MIDI, distortion boxes, phase shifters, and wah-wah pedals. This resulted in his signature, almost synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
-like sound.
Work with Return to Forever
In 2011, Ponty was asked by Chick CoreaChick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
to join the group Return to Forever
Return to Forever
Return to Forever is a jazz fusion group founded and led by keyboardist Chick Corea. Through its existence, the band has cycled through a number of different members, with the only consistent band mate of Corea's being bassist Stanley Clarke...
for a series of concerts throughout the year. The group is labeled "Return to Forever IV," as it is the fourth incarnation of the group.
Personal life
Jean-Luc Ponty is married and has two daughters. One daughter, Clara PontyClara Ponty
Clara Ponty is a French pianist, vocalist and pop and jazz composer.-Early life:Ponty is the daughter of jazz violinist and composer Jean-Luc Ponty. Born in Paris but living in Los Angeles since age four, she began studying violin and piano at the age of five. By the time she was eight, she had...
, is a successful pianist and composer; he has collaborated with her on several projects, including her latest album, Mirror of Truth.
Discography
- Jazz Long PlayingJazz Long PlayingJazz Long Playing is Jean-Luc Ponty's debut album recorded in Paris in June and July 1964. It was reissued in 2007. Jazz Long Playing - Import version was believed to be released Jan 01, 2008...
(1964) - Humair, Louiss, and Ponty: Trio HLP (1966)
- Violin Summit (1966)
- Noon in Tunisia (1967)
- Sunday Walk (1967)
- Free Action (1967)
- More than Meets the Ear (1968)
- Live at Donte's (1969)
- Jean-Luc Ponty Experience with the George Duke TrioJean-Luc Ponty Experience with the George Duke TrioThe Jean-Luc Ponty Experience with The George Duke Trio is a Jazz album released in 1969 by Jean-Luc Ponty on World Pacific Jazz in the US, and is considered to be one of the earliest fusion jazz albums...
(1969) - Electric Connection (1969)
- King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank ZappaKing Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank ZappaKing Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa is an album by French jazz fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty first released in 1970 on Liberty Records' World Pacific Records subsidiary label...
(1970) - Open Strings (1971)
- AstroramaAstroramaAstrorama is an album by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty and Japanese Avant-Garde artist Masahiko Sato, released in 1970. The album was recorded live in Tokyo on August 29, 1970...
(with Masahiko Sato) (1970) - New Violin Summit (with Don "Sugarcane" Harris, Michał Urbaniak, Nipso Brantner, Terje RypdalTerje RypdalTerje Rypdal is a Norwegian guitarist and composer. Most of his music has been released on albums of the German record label ECM. Rypdal has collaborated both as a guitarist and as a composer with other ECM artists such as Ketil Bjørnstad and David Darling...
, Wolfgang DaunerWolfgang DaunerWolfgang Dauner is a German jazz fusion pianist, composer and keyboardist born in Stuttgart, Germany, probably best known for his work in the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble and with musicians such as Hans Koller, Albert Mangelsdorff, Volker Kriegel or Ack van Rooyen...
, Neville WhiteheadNeville Whitehead (bassist)Neville Whitehead is a New Zealand bassist and luthier who was an active member of the British jazz fusion community in the 1970s.Whitehead played at times in Keith Tippett's sextet in the late 1960s, including alongside Elton Dean. He appears on The Keith Tippett Group's Dedicated To You, But You...
, Robert WyattRobert WyattRobert Wyatt is an English musician, and founding member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, with a long and distinguished solo career...
) (1971) - Live at Montreux 72 (1972)
- Upon the Wings of MusicUpon the Wings of MusicUpon the Wings of Music is an album by Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 1975. It was his first on the Atlantic label.- Track listing :All songs written by Jean-Luc Ponty.#"Upon the Wings of Music" – 5:26#"Question with No Answer" – 3:29...
(1975) - AuroraAurora (Jean-Luc Ponty album)Aurora is a studio album by French jazz-fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 1976. It was reissued on audio cassette in 1990 and on CD in 1992.- Track listing :All songs by Jean-Luc Ponty.# "Is Once Enough?" – 4:58# "Renaissance" – 5:48...
(1975) - Imaginary VoyageImaginary VoyageImaginary Voyage is a studio album by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty. It was released in 1976 on Atlantic Records.-Side one:#"New Country" – 3:07#"The Gardens of Babylon" – 5:06#"Wandering on the Milky Way" – 1:50#"Once upon a Dream" – 4:08...
(1976) - Live in Hamburg (1976)
- Cantaloupe IslandCantaloupe Island (Jean-Luc Ponty album)Cantaloupe Island is an album by French jazz fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty first released in 1976. It combines two previously issued albums: King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa and Jean-Luc Ponty Experience with the George Duke Trio, both recorded in 1969 for the World Pacific...
(1976) - Enigmatic OceanEnigmatic OceanEnigmatic Ocean is an album by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 1977. It reached #1 on the Billboard Jazz album chart in 1977.- Track listing :All songs by Jean-Luc Ponty.#"Overture" – 0:47#"The Trans-Love Express" – 3:59...
(1977) - Cosmic MessengerCosmic MessengerCosmic Messenger is an album by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 1978.- Track listing :All songs by Jean-Luc Ponty.#"Cosmic Messenger" – 4:38#"The Art of Happiness" – 4:33#"Don't Let the World Pass You By" – 6:23...
(1978) - A Taste for PassionA Taste for PassionA Taste for Passion is an album by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 1979. It was reissued on Atlantic Records on CD in 1990 and 1992.- Track listing :All songs by Jean-Luc Ponty.#"Stay with Me" – 5:35...
(1979) - Live (1979)
- Civilized EvilCivilized EvilCivilized Evil is an album by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 1980. It was reissued on Atlantic Records on CD in 1992.- Track listing :All songs by Jean-Luc Ponty.#"Demagomania" – 6:25#"In Case We Survive" – 4:06...
(1980) - Mystical AdventuresMystical AdventuresMystical Adventures is an album by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 1982.- Track listing :All songs by Jean-Luc Ponty unless otherwise noted.#"Mystical Adventures Part I" – 3:29#"Mystical Adventures Part II" – 3:36...
(1982) - Individual ChoiceIndividual ChoiceIndividual Choice is an album by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 1983.- Track listing :All songs by Jean-Luc Ponty.#"Computer Incantations for World Peace" – 5:41#"Far from the Beaten Paths" – 5:59#"In Spiritual Love" – 7:01...
(1983) - Open Mind (1984)
- FablesFables (Jean-Luc Ponty album)Fables is an album by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 1985.- Track listing :All songs by Jean-Luc Ponty.#"Infinite Pursuit" – 6:00#"Elephants in Love" – 5:21#"Radioactive Legacy" – 6:18#"Cats Tales" – 4:55...
(1985) - The Gift of TimeThe Gift of TimeThe Gift of Time is an album by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 1987. It is his first for Columbia Records after eleven albums on the Atlantic label...
(1987) - StorytellingStorytelling (Jean-Luc Ponty album)Storytelling is an album by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 1989. It is his second album on the Columbia label.- Track listing :All songs by Jean-Luc Ponty unless otherwise noted.#"In the Fast Lane" – 4:09...
(1989) - TchokolaTchokolaTchokola is an album by french Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 1991.The rhythm section was recorded on analog tape. All other recording was digitally recorded.- Track listing :...
(1991) - No Absolute TimeNo Absolute TimeNo Absolute Time is an album by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 1993. It marks his return to the Atlantic label.- Track listing :All songs by Jean-Luc Ponty.# "No Absolute Time" – 5:42# "Savannah" – 9:18# "Lost Illusions" – 5:03...
(1993) - The Rite of StringsThe Rite of StringsThe Rite of Strings is a collaborative album by virtuosi Al Di Meola, Stanley Clarke and Jean-Luc Ponty, recorded after their world tour in 1995...
with Stanley Clarke and Al Di Meola (1995) - Le Voyage: The Jean-Luc Ponty AnthologyLe Voyage: The Jean-Luc Ponty AnthologyLe Voyage: The Jean-Luc Ponty Anthology is a compilation album by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 1996.- Track listing :All songs by Jean-Luc Ponty.# "Question with No Answer" – 3:29# "Bowing-Bowing" – 4:53...
(1996) - Live at Chene ParkLive at Chene ParkLive at Chene Park is a live album by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 1996.- Track listing :All songs by Jean-Luc Ponty.# "Introduction" – 0:48# "Infinite Pursuit" – 7:47# "Tender Memories" – 7:12# "Between Sea and Sky" – 5:50...
(1997) - The Very Best of Jean-Luc PontyThe Very Best of Jean-Luc PontyThe Very Best of Jean-Luc Ponty is a compilation album by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 2000. It mainly focuses on his work while on the Atlantic label.- Track listing :All songs by Jean-Luc Ponty.# "Bowing-Bowing" – 4:53...
(2000) - Life EnigmaLife EnigmaLife Enigma is an album by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 2001. It is his first on his own label, JLP and arrives seven years since his last solo studio release No Absolute Time.-Critical reception:...
(2001) - The Best of Jean-Luc PontyThe Best of Jean-Luc PontyThe Best of Jean-Luc Ponty is a compilation album by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 2002. It focuses on his work while on the Columbia label.- Track listing :All songs by Jean-Luc Ponty unless otherwise noted.# "Prologue" – 1:03...
(2002) - Live at Semper OperaLive at Semper OperaLive at Semper Opera is a live album by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 2002.- Track listing :All songs by Jean-Luc Ponty unless otherwise noted.# "Imaginary Voyage - Infinite Pursuit" – 11:16# "Jig" – 9:39...
(2002) - Jean-Luc Ponty in ConcertJean-Luc Ponty in ConcertJean-Luc Ponty in Concert is a DVD and live CD by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 2003. Originally, the DVD with the concert performance in Warsaw, Poland was released.- Track listing :...
(2003) (CD and DVD versions) - Live in Montreux 1994 (2005)
- The Atacama ExperienceThe Atacama ExperienceThe Atacama Experience is an album by French Jazz-Fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 2007. It reached number 24 on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart, Ponty's first charting album since 1997's Live at Chene Park...
(2007)
With Frank Zappa
- Hot RatsHot RatsHot Rats is the second solo album by Frank Zappa. It was released in October 1969. Five of the six songs are instrumental . It was Zappa's first recording project after the dissolution of the original Mothers of Invention...
(1969) - Over-Nite SensationOver-Nite SensationOver-Nite Sensation is an album by Frank Zappa & The Mothers, released in 1973 . It was recorded in March – June 1973 at these studios: Bolic Sound in Inglewood, Whitney, in Glendale, and Paramount in Los Angeles...
(1973) - PiquantiqueBeat the BootsBeat the Boots is a collection of bootleg recordings by Frank Zappa which were originally distributed illegally but were released officially by Rhino Entertainment in 1991. The recordings were available as individual CDs and as an LP or cassette box set...
(1973) - Apostrophe (')Apostrophe (')Apostrophe is an album by Frank Zappa, his eighteenth, released on March 22, 1974 in both stereo and quadraphonic formats. An edited version of its lead-off track, "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow", was Zappa's first chart single, reaching position 86. Apostrophe remains Zappa's biggest commercial...
(1974) - Shut Up 'n Play Yer GuitarShut Up 'n Play Yer GuitarShut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar is a triple vinyl album, originally issued mail order-only as three separate volumes, featuring live material recorded by Frank Zappa between February 1977 and December 1980. The final track, "Canard du Jour", is a duet with Frank Zappa on electric bouzouki and Jean-Luc...
(1981)
With Mahavishnu Orchestra
- Apocalypse (1974)
- Visions of the Emerald BeyondVisions of the Emerald BeyondVisions of the Emerald Beyond is an album by the jazz fusion group Mahavishnu Orchestra, and the second released by its second incarnation....
(1975)
With Stéphane Grappelli
- Stéphane Grappelli / Jean-Luc Ponty (1974)
- Violin Summit: Stephane Grappelli, Stuff Smith, Svend Asmussen, Jean-Luc Ponty (1967, Polygram)
- Compact Jazz (1988, Polygram)
Films
- 1999 - L. Subramaniam: Violin From the Heart. Directed by Jean Henri Meunier. (Includes a scene with Ponty performing with L. SubramaniamL. SubramaniamDr. Lakshminarayana Subramaniam is an acclaimed Indian violinist, composer and conductor, trained in the classical Carnatic music tradition and Western classical music, and renowned for his virtuoso playing techniques and compositions in orchestral fusion.-Early years:Subramaniam was born to V...
.)
External links
- Ponty.com - Official website
- Discography
- Jean-Luc Ponty interview at Allaboutjazz.com
- "In Conversation with Jean-Luc Ponty" by Thierry Quénum, at Jazz.com
- 2010 interview with Jean-Luc Ponty on Prog Sphere