Search - Jean-Luc Ponty :: The Acatama Experience

Pleasing and pleasant album.

a tois | New York | 06/04/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Let me say from the outset that I enjoy this album, and it will I'm sure be played much in the future in my household.

He is a wonderful 'jazz' violinist, and as we all know there are very few of them about, and I can't help wondering if record companies are perhaps struggling to find a way to market them to their (and Ponty's) best advantage.

The veteran musician has an enviable technique on the violin, and a wonderfully full and warm tone; and when given reign to do so can swing like the clappers. He has a great harmonic sense, and loves to play.

For the long time listener of Jean-Luc Ponty, "Acatama" or...better "ATACAMA" is the product of a band that has been playing together for at least six years and a culmination of Ponty's entire fusion career.

2001's Life Enigma marked a welcome return to the studio after an eight year drought, but his crack band was utilized sparingly.

Ponty chose to play or program most of the instruments and bring in band members to help in varying degrees as he saw fit; Individual Choice seemed to be the template that he was working from.

In contrast, JLP includes his band much more for The Acatama Experience, and that's a good thing, because some of his best records have resulted from using a road-tested rhythm section. It's the the same touring band he employed sporadically for Life Enigma: William Lecomte on keyboards, Guy Nsangué Akwa on electric bass, Thierry Arpino on drums and Taffa Cissé on percussion.

Another old trick that Jean Luc pulls out of his bag is bringing in guest guitarists for spot duty, and true to his ol' form, only the finest will do. In the past, Ponty has hired luminaries like George Benson and Genesis tour member Daryl Stuermer. This time, he brings in guys who played with him back in the heyday seventies: Belgian/English fusion heavy Philip Catherine and that electric guitar virtuoso's virtuoso known as Allan Holdsworth. The overall approach of tour band + star sessionists and just the overall sound of this record makes it more akin to 1989's consistently good Storytelling.

As if to be starting a globe trotting journey in his home country, the first song of the collection is a modernized version of Bud Powell's sunny bop classic, "Parisian Thoroughfare" complete with a mildly hip-hop beat.The funkiest song is saved for end; "To And Fro", with a nice, syncopated groove provided by Akwa (Ponty's best ever bassist) and Arpino.

There is plenty of full-bodied and melodic violin, coupled with gently swinging and sympathetic backing.

The session has that degree of spark and something special that ignites and inflames the mind and turns this pleasing and pleasant album into something memorable.

It's a very enjoyable listening experience."

Beautifull Ponty's Sketches, Featuring: Allan Holdsworth!

Jeff T. Jesmorh | Mexico City. | 06/21/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Through the years, violinist Jean Luc Ponty (a well recognized musician that doesn't need presentation anymore), has demostrated through his mamoth of finesse recordings, not only his musical inventiveness with recordings that have became cornerstones in the jazz fusion genre, but furthermore, by the high level invited musicians that have contributed to embellish his albums with their habilities and particular emotion every time. Between others, we can find guitarists like Daryl Struemer, George Benson or Scott Henderson, but we must to mention the most revolutionary of all: The maestro Allan Holdsworth, who has colaborated with Jean Luc-Ponty since 1976 in the recording ENIGMATIC OCEAN (One of the cornerstones that I have talked), INDIVIDUAL CHOICE (1982), and now this new Ponty's production named ACATAMA EXPERIENCE (2007). the middle aged man Allan Holdsworth only plays in one song but his powerfull exotic and melodic solos help to create the ambiance for these new and beautifull Ponty's sketches that by the way, after years of recordings abscence, these listen with a more matured sound. This recording is in a traditional Jazz format (more than Fusion) containing all the essential Ponty's elements: The inviting rhythms and the hypnotic melodies, but this time with a kind of an african-brazilian flavor supported by an acoustic piano instead of the sinthesized wall of keyboard sounds that the Ponty's fan know very well. The track "Point Of No Return", offers a different musical view with disonant violin and fluglehorn melodies on top of a rhythm section and a grand piano progression, leaving beside the hard traditional kind of Jazz format just to find the influence figure of the great Miles Davis... Fantastic!



Another new is the 3 track playing of guitarist Philip Catherine, a veteran musician that played with Thjis Van Leer in seventies with the Progressive band FOCUS! So just sit back, relaxe, and enjoy again a great instrumental album with Jean Luc-Ponty and his friends... Good Luck

"

For an old fan of JLP; 6 Stars

W. Noshie | Beirut, Lebanon | 09/01/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you are an old fan of JLP, you are simply going to love his new release.

Who can play the violin with all the sounds of the Guitar, keyboard and violin and release sounds from Rock to fusion to classic jazz all combined in one album better or close to JLP?

Simply no one.

This album is simply a tight, fresh and mature fantastic Jazz release. Jean Luc Ponty



Another previous well recommended release for JLP: Individual Choice

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