» Jean-Luc Ponty & His Band
Arf Society proudly presents... the man whose fiddle coined the sound of the jazz rock in the 70's in his unmistakable way.It will be one of the outstanding concerts to be heard and seen at Zappanale #21: Jean-Luc Ponty & His Band are giving their debut on the festival ground!
In the year 2007 the french fiddler Jean-Luc Ponty got the award „German Jazz Trophy – A Life For Jazz“. So it's high time that he gets the opportunity to show Bad Doberan the reasons for his commendation.
However: At heart we already are aware of it. Since the album Hot Rats from '69 and Ponty's record King Kong, which has been released one year later under direction of Zappa, this brilliant fiddler is well known. Together with Zappa he played as well on Over-Nite Sensation, Apostrophe (´), Shut Up `N Play Yer Guitar, The Lost Episodes and One Shot Deal. More excellent live material can be found on bootlegs like Disconnected Synapses (Ponty as guest musician on December 15, 1970 in Paris), Piquantique (August 21, 1973, Stockholm) and Piquantique Sydney (Juli 8, 1973, Sydney).
Ponty developped a classic education as concert violist. But early he was fascinated by the music of Miles Davis or John Coltrane; that's why in the middle of the 60's he turned towards jazz music - with a clarinet! Yet shortly he fortified his fiddle with all possible electrical resources at that time. 1964 his first jazz album was released: „Jazz Long Playing“. Ponty has created a totally new sound with his violin by tuning up his instrument one octave lower than usual.
By the end of the 60's he recorded the album „The Jean-Luc Ponty Experience“ with the George Duke Trio, by then totally unknown. In this time his producer thought that it was time that Ponty should set out for a more commercial way. Ponty resisted a long time but then his producer brought him together with Zappa. He wasn't really convinced to co-operate because he realized that they had quite different ways, but he agreed to let Zappa compose and arrange his next album. Before that Zappa suggested to visit his studio to get a closer look at his way of working. It was then when the album Hot Rats was recorded - the rest is history!
One detail should be mentioned here: Ponty insisted that a George Duke has to participate in the recording of the album King Kong. He liked working together with him and didn't want to do without him. Producer and Zappa agreed.
And it was this George Duke who told Ponty that in Los Angeles a band was put together and his manager thought he should play there. But because at that time Duke didn't feel at ease with all the rock musicians he asked Ponty to join in: „If you accept I do, too!“ Without knowing Ponty became part of a formation of Frank Zappa and stayed there until September 1973. He was on stage side by side with Frank Zappa and George Duke, with Tom and Bruce Fowler, Ruth and Ian Underwood, Sal Marquez and once even with Don Preston, who joined them in March in San Diego for a performance.
All that have been very interesting experiences for Ponty, the more as he was interested in the complex compositions of Zappa. For a long time Zappa let this material in the drawer since he did not have the musicians who were able to play it. It came to an abrupt end because they had to realize that the audience was partly overstrained and lost the interest in this band.
Because of commercial reasons Zappa was forced to do satire and rock music again. That was not was Ponty had on his mind and so he left the band. To say it benevolently and friendly: Zappa was not thrilled! So they didn't really part as friends.
Afterwards Ponty recorded with John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra the albums Apocalypse (1974) and Visions Of The Emerald Beyond (1975). This was his entrance into fusion jazz. To name a few musicians he worked together in his career there are Daryl Stuermer, Elton John, Joachim Kühn, Stanley Clarke, Al Di Meola, Wolfgang Dauner, George Benson, Chick Corea, Allan Holdsworth, Allan Zevod. Maybe interesting too: Besides „King Kong“ there was another Ponty album in 1969 where Zappa played too. It's “Canteloupe Island“ and amongst others Arthur D. Tripp is playing the drums, Ian Underwood Saxophon and George Duke piano.
Jean-Luc Ponty will be on stage with his band in the following formation:
William Lecomte - keyboards
Guy Nsangue Akwa – bass
Pierre-Francois Titi Dufour - drums
Homepage: http://www.ponty.com/