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Jean-luc Ponty




Jean-Luc Ponty (born September 29 , 1942 ) is a virtuoso French Violinist and Jazz Composer .

Born in Avranches , France, he was trained as a professional classical violinist at the Paris Conservatory . His attraction to jazz was propelled by Miles Davis 's and John Coltrane 's music.

He has worked with Stéphane Grappelli , the Mahavishnu Orchestra , and Frank Zappa , and has appeared on over seventy recordings.

In 1977 he pioneered the use of the 5-string Electric Violin , with a lower C string. 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-80s 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.

In 2005 Ponty formed the acoustic Fusion supergroup TRIO! with legendary bassist Stanley Clarke and Banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck .


SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

  • ''Jazz Long Playing'' ( 1964 )

  • ''Violin Summit'' ( 1966 )

  • ''Sunday Walk'' ( 1967 )

  • ''Cantaloupe Island'' ( 1967 )

  • ''Jean-Luc Ponty Experience'' ( 1969 )

  • ''Upon the Wings of Music'' ( 1975 )

  • ''Aurora'' ( 1976 )

  • ''Imaginary Voyage'' ( 1976 )

  • ''Enigmatic Ocean'' ( 1977 )

  • ''Cosmic Messenger'' ( 1978 )

  • ''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 )

  • ''King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa'' ( 1993 )

  • ''The Rite of Strings'' with Stanley Clarke and Al Di Meola'' ( 1995 )

  • ''Le Voyage'' ( 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 )

  • ''In Concert ( 2003 )'' (CD and DVD versions)



With Frank Zappa



FILMS

  • 1999 - ''L. Subramaniam: Violin From the Heart''. Directed by Jean Henri Meunier. (Includes a scene with Ponty performing with L. Subramaniam .)



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