Biography
Jean-Luc Ponty is a pioneer and undispute master of violin in the arena of jazz and rock. He is widely regarded as an innovator who has applied his unique visionary spin that has expanded the vocabulary of modern music. Ponty was born in a family of classical musicians on September 29, 1942 in Avranches, France. His father taught violin, 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. Fueled by an all-encompassing creative passion, Jean-Luc soon felt the need to express his jazz voice through his main instrument, the violin. So it was that Ponty found himself leading a dual musical life: rehearsing and performing with the orchestra while also playing jazz until 3 AM at clubs throughout Paris. The demands of this doomed schedule eventually brought him to a crossroads. "Naturally, I had to make a choice, so I took a chance with jazz", says Jean-Luc. 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 album 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.
Through the late-60s and early 70s, Ponty achieved mounting critical praise and popularity across Europe. In turn, the violinist soon found his signature talents in demand by top recording artists the world over. In 1969, Frank Zappa composed the music for Jean-Luc’s solo album King Kong (Blue Note). In 1972, Elton John invited Ponty to contribute to his Honky Chateau #1 hit album. Within a year - at the urging of Zappa who wanted him to join his band the Mothers of Invention - 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/tours (Apocalypse, Visions of the Emerald Beyond). In the meantime he became a prolific composer, signed on as a solo artist with Atlantic Records in early 1975, released his first album Upon The Wings Of Music that same year and started touring with his own band. 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 revolutionary video featuring time lapse images was produced by Louis Schwarzberg for 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 New Music Ensemble of Pittsburgh, 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 in impressive fashion with 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 triumphed in North America as well as in Europe. Ponty also performed a highly acclaimed duet with bassist Miroslav Vitous in December 99. In January 2000, he participated to 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. A universal approach to music which has always been the essence of Ponty's motivation and work. In August 2001, Jean-Luc Ponty released his new studio CD Life Enigma on his own label (J.L.P. Productions, Inc.), a return to his concept from the 70s with a very modern production. Ponty played all the instruments on some tracks and was joined by his band members for superb performances on other tracks: William Lecomte (keyboards), Guy Nsangué Akwa (bass), Thierry Arpino (drums) and Moustapha Cissé (percussion). Ponty gave an extremely successful concert with his band in his native town of Avranches, in the French province of Normandie, on September 21, 2001. He was also honored during a special ceremony at City Hall, finally gaining recognition from his compatriots. He then embarked on a very successful concert tour in the USA in October-November 2001, receiving strong and loyal support from his fans despite the uncertainty that followed the September 11 terrorist attacks. In May 2001, Ponty recorded a memorable concert with the same musicians at the superb 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 in India for the first time, 7 shows in 6 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 Fall. 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 has been touring 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. This new CD has been released in June 2007 by Koch Records in North America and by Universal in Europe, and received 4-stars in the US jazz magazine Down Beat as well as raving reviews internationally. Most critics say that it is one his best since Enigmatic Ocean. Concert tours followed the release of this album in the USA, Canada and Europe in 2007 and 2008. At the end of 2008 “Jean Luc Ponty & His Band” became a quartet without percussion, a return to the ‘Ponty sound’ of the 70s-80s in a jazzier version. 2009 started with a concert at the prestigious LA FENICE theatre in Venice, Italy, followed by more concerts overseas and a first appearance of JLP’s band in Mexico. In September Ponty performed as a guest of the Chick Corea - Stanley Clarke - Lenny White Trio along with Chaka Khan for a special evening at the Hollywood Bowl, with Stevie Wonder showing up by surprise for a jam at the end. Then in November JLP & His Band embarked on U.S. tour that started in San Diego, California and ended in New York City. In 2010 Ponty is scheduled to perform with his band in the Caribbean, Europe and Russia and also did several concerts in Europe as a duet with pianist German pianist Wolfgang Dauner. 2011 has been a great year for JLP. He received the "Jazz Legend Award" from the Mayor in Cork, Ireland after his performance with his band at the Guinness Jazz Festival. Altogether JLP performed 88 concerts in 2011, 75 of which with "Return To Forever IV" (36 in the USA - 21 in Europe - 6 in Australia - 6 in Japan - 2 in South Korea - 1 in Israel). The November tour in South America with the "Atlantic Years Band" was also a big highlight, a reunion of Jean Luc's American band members from the 80s. 2012 started with a concert in Sochi, Russia where world famous classical violist and conductor Yuri Bashmet remitted the Grand Prix of the Sochi Arts Festival to Jean Luc after his performance with his band. Then in April Jean-Luc gave a very special concert celebrating his 50-year career at Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, for which he performed his music with the Concerts Pasdeloup symphony orchestra and also with guests artists Stanley Clarke, Bireli Lagrene, Daniel Humair and Eddy Louiss. In January 2013 JLP participated to a gala in honor of Yuri Bashmet’s birthday with the State Symphony Orchestra New Russia in Moscow. Then in April Jean Luc Ponty & His Band performed at the Jazz Festival in Cape Town, South Africa. Also in 20013 Herbie Hancock invited him to perform in Istanbul at "International Jazz Day" for UNESCO with a cast of jazz stars such as Wayne Shorter, John McLaughlin and George Duke to name a few. Ponty also founded a new quartet with his daughter, pianist-singer-composer Clara Ponty for performances in France and Germany. Ponty also performed his music with the 89 musicians of the Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra for the Siberian Christmas Festival. In 2014 Ponty has recorded an album as an acoustic trio with Stanley Clarke on double bass and Gypsy-French guitarist Bireli Lagrene, to be released on Impulse/Universal in the Fall 2015. Jean-Luc recently formed the Anderson Ponty Band with Jon Anderson, cofounder and lead singer of British progressive rock band YES, a CD and DVD will be released in 2015 followed by a world concert tour.
Jean-Luc Ponty is a pioneer and undispute master of violin in the arena of jazz and rock. He is widely regarded as an innovator who has applied his unique visionary spin that has expanded the vocabulary of modern music. Ponty was born in a family of classical musicians on September 29, 1942 in Avranches, France. His father taught violin, 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. Fueled by an all-encompassing creative passion, Jean-Luc soon felt the need to express his jazz voice through his main instrument, the violin. So it was that Ponty found himself leading a dual musical life: rehearsing and performing with the orchestra while also playing jazz until 3 AM at clubs throughout Paris. The demands of this doomed schedule eventually brought him to a crossroads. "Naturally, I had to make a choice, so I took a chance with jazz", says Jean-Luc. 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 album 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.
Through the late-60s and early 70s, Ponty achieved mounting critical praise and popularity across Europe. In turn, the violinist soon found his signature talents in demand by top recording artists the world over. In 1969, Frank Zappa composed the music for Jean-Luc’s solo album King Kong (Blue Note). In 1972, Elton John invited Ponty to contribute to his Honky Chateau #1 hit album. Within a year - at the urging of Zappa who wanted him to join his band the Mothers of Invention - 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/tours (Apocalypse, Visions of the Emerald Beyond). In the meantime he became a prolific composer, signed on as a solo artist with Atlantic Records in early 1975, released his first album Upon The Wings Of Music that same year and started touring with his own band. 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 revolutionary video featuring time lapse images was produced by Louis Schwarzberg for 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 New Music Ensemble of Pittsburgh, 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 in impressive fashion with 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 triumphed in North America as well as in Europe. Ponty also performed a highly acclaimed duet with bassist Miroslav Vitous in December 99. In January 2000, he participated to 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. A universal approach to music which has always been the essence of Ponty's motivation and work. In August 2001, Jean-Luc Ponty released his new studio CD Life Enigma on his own label (J.L.P. Productions, Inc.), a return to his concept from the 70s with a very modern production. Ponty played all the instruments on some tracks and was joined by his band members for superb performances on other tracks: William Lecomte (keyboards), Guy Nsangué Akwa (bass), Thierry Arpino (drums) and Moustapha Cissé (percussion). Ponty gave an extremely successful concert with his band in his native town of Avranches, in the French province of Normandie, on September 21, 2001. He was also honored during a special ceremony at City Hall, finally gaining recognition from his compatriots. He then embarked on a very successful concert tour in the USA in October-November 2001, receiving strong and loyal support from his fans despite the uncertainty that followed the September 11 terrorist attacks. In May 2001, Ponty recorded a memorable concert with the same musicians at the superb 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 in India for the first time, 7 shows in 6 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 Fall. 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 has been touring 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. This new CD has been released in June 2007 by Koch Records in North America and by Universal in Europe, and received 4-stars in the US jazz magazine Down Beat as well as raving reviews internationally. Most critics say that it is one his best since Enigmatic Ocean. Concert tours followed the release of this album in the USA, Canada and Europe in 2007 and 2008. At the end of 2008 “Jean Luc Ponty & His Band” became a quartet without percussion, a return to the ‘Ponty sound’ of the 70s-80s in a jazzier version. 2009 started with a concert at the prestigious LA FENICE theatre in Venice, Italy, followed by more concerts overseas and a first appearance of JLP’s band in Mexico. In September Ponty performed as a guest of the Chick Corea - Stanley Clarke - Lenny White Trio along with Chaka Khan for a special evening at the Hollywood Bowl, with Stevie Wonder showing up by surprise for a jam at the end. Then in November JLP & His Band embarked on U.S. tour that started in San Diego, California and ended in New York City. In 2010 Ponty is scheduled to perform with his band in the Caribbean, Europe and Russia and also did several concerts in Europe as a duet with pianist German pianist Wolfgang Dauner. 2011 has been a great year for JLP. He received the "Jazz Legend Award" from the Mayor in Cork, Ireland after his performance with his band at the Guinness Jazz Festival. Altogether JLP performed 88 concerts in 2011, 75 of which with "Return To Forever IV" (36 in the USA - 21 in Europe - 6 in Australia - 6 in Japan - 2 in South Korea - 1 in Israel). The November tour in South America with the "Atlantic Years Band" was also a big highlight, a reunion of Jean Luc's American band members from the 80s. 2012 started with a concert in Sochi, Russia where world famous classical violist and conductor Yuri Bashmet remitted the Grand Prix of the Sochi Arts Festival to Jean Luc after his performance with his band. Then in April Jean-Luc gave a very special concert celebrating his 50-year career at Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, for which he performed his music with the Concerts Pasdeloup symphony orchestra and also with guests artists Stanley Clarke, Bireli Lagrene, Daniel Humair and Eddy Louiss. In January 2013 JLP participated to a gala in honor of Yuri Bashmet’s birthday with the State Symphony Orchestra New Russia in Moscow. Then in April Jean Luc Ponty & His Band performed at the Jazz Festival in Cape Town, South Africa. Also in 20013 Herbie Hancock invited him to perform in Istanbul at "International Jazz Day" for UNESCO with a cast of jazz stars such as Wayne Shorter, John McLaughlin and George Duke to name a few. Ponty also founded a new quartet with his daughter, pianist-singer-composer Clara Ponty for performances in France and Germany. Ponty also performed his music with the 89 musicians of the Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra for the Siberian Christmas Festival. In 2014 Ponty has recorded an album as an acoustic trio with Stanley Clarke on double bass and Gypsy-French guitarist Bireli Lagrene, to be released on Impulse/Universal in the Fall 2015. Jean-Luc recently formed the Anderson Ponty Band with Jon Anderson, cofounder and lead singer of British progressive rock band YES, a CD and DVD will be released in 2015 followed by a world concert tour.
///////
Biografía
Jean-Luc Ponty es un pionero y maestro indiscutible del violín en el ámbito del jazz y el rock. Está ampliamente considerado como un innovador que ha aplicado su singular giro visionario que ha ampliado el vocabulario de la música moderna. Ponty nació en una familia de músicos clásicos el 29 de septiembre de 1942 en Avranches, Francia. Su padre era profesor de violín y su madre de piano. A los dieciséis años ingresó en el Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de París, graduándose dos años más tarde con el máximo galardón de la institución, el Premier Prix. A su vez, fue contratado inmediatamente por una de las principales orquestas sinfónicas, Concerts Lamoureux, donde tocó durante tres años. Cuando aún formaba parte de la orquesta de París, Ponty empezó a tocar el clarinete (que le había enseñado su padre) en una banda de jazz universitaria que actuaba regularmente en fiestas locales. Fue un punto de inflexión en su vida. Su creciente interés por los sonidos de Miles Davis y John Coltrane le llevó a tocar el saxofón tenor. Impulsado por una pasión creativa que lo abarcaba todo, Jean-Luc pronto sintió la necesidad de expresar su voz jazzística a través de su instrumento principal, el violín. Así fue como Ponty se encontró llevando una doble vida musical: ensayando y actuando con la orquesta mientras tocaba jazz hasta las 3 de la madrugada en clubes de todo París. Las exigencias de esta agenda condenada al fracaso acabaron por llevarle a una encrucijada. "Naturalmente, tenía que elegir, así que me decidí por el jazz", dice Jean-Luc. Al principio, el violín resultó ser una desventaja; en aquella época, pocos consideraban que el instrumento tuviera un lugar legítimo en el vocabulario del jazz moderno. Con un sonido potente que evitaba el vibrato, Jean-Luc se distinguió con fraseos de la época del be-bop y un estilo contundente, más influenciado por los trompetistas que por nada que se hubiera probado antes con el violín. Los críticos dijeron entonces que era el primer violinista de jazz tan emocionante como un saxofonista. La notoriedad de Ponty creció a pasos agigantados y en 1964, a los 22 años, publicó su primer álbum en solitario para Philips, Jazz Long Playing. Un álbum en directo de 1966 titulado Violin Summit reunió a Ponty en el escenario de Basilea (Suiza) con notables talentos de la cuerda como Svend Asmussen, Stéphane Grappelli y Stuff Smith. En 1967, John Lewis, del Modern Jazz Quartet, invitó a Ponty a actuar en el Festival de Jazz de Monterey. La primera actuación de Jean-Luc en Estados Unidos cosechó un aplauso atronador y dio lugar a una gira por ese país.
Jean-Luc Ponty es un pionero y maestro indiscutible del violín en el ámbito del jazz y el rock. Está ampliamente considerado como un innovador que ha aplicado su singular giro visionario que ha ampliado el vocabulario de la música moderna. Ponty nació en una familia de músicos clásicos el 29 de septiembre de 1942 en Avranches, Francia. Su padre era profesor de violín y su madre de piano. A los dieciséis años ingresó en el Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de París, graduándose dos años más tarde con el máximo galardón de la institución, el Premier Prix. A su vez, fue contratado inmediatamente por una de las principales orquestas sinfónicas, Concerts Lamoureux, donde tocó durante tres años. Cuando aún formaba parte de la orquesta de París, Ponty empezó a tocar el clarinete (que le había enseñado su padre) en una banda de jazz universitaria que actuaba regularmente en fiestas locales. Fue un punto de inflexión en su vida. Su creciente interés por los sonidos de Miles Davis y John Coltrane le llevó a tocar el saxofón tenor. Impulsado por una pasión creativa que lo abarcaba todo, Jean-Luc pronto sintió la necesidad de expresar su voz jazzística a través de su instrumento principal, el violín. Así fue como Ponty se encontró llevando una doble vida musical: ensayando y actuando con la orquesta mientras tocaba jazz hasta las 3 de la madrugada en clubes de todo París. Las exigencias de esta agenda condenada al fracaso acabaron por llevarle a una encrucijada. "Naturalmente, tenía que elegir, así que me decidí por el jazz", dice Jean-Luc. Al principio, el violín resultó ser una desventaja; en aquella época, pocos consideraban que el instrumento tuviera un lugar legítimo en el vocabulario del jazz moderno. Con un sonido potente que evitaba el vibrato, Jean-Luc se distinguió con fraseos de la época del be-bop y un estilo contundente, más influenciado por los trompetistas que por nada que se hubiera probado antes con el violín. Los críticos dijeron entonces que era el primer violinista de jazz tan emocionante como un saxofonista. La notoriedad de Ponty creció a pasos agigantados y en 1964, a los 22 años, publicó su primer álbum en solitario para Philips, Jazz Long Playing. Un álbum en directo de 1966 titulado Violin Summit reunió a Ponty en el escenario de Basilea (Suiza) con notables talentos de la cuerda como Svend Asmussen, Stéphane Grappelli y Stuff Smith. En 1967, John Lewis, del Modern Jazz Quartet, invitó a Ponty a actuar en el Festival de Jazz de Monterey. La primera actuación de Jean-Luc en Estados Unidos cosechó un aplauso atronador y dio lugar a una gira por ese país.
A finales de los sesenta y principios de los setenta, Ponty cosechó cada vez más elogios de la crítica y popularidad en toda Europa. A su vez, el violinista pronto se vio solicitado por artistas de todo el mundo. En 1969, Frank Zappa compuso la música del álbum en solitario de Jean-Luc, King Kong (Blue Note). En 1972, Elton John invitó a Ponty a colaborar en su exitoso álbum Honky Chateau #1. Al cabo de un año, a instancias de Zappa, que quería que se uniera a su banda Mothers of Invention, Ponty emigró con su mujer y sus dos hijas a Estados Unidos y se instaló en Los Ángeles. Siguió trabajando en diversos proyectos, como un par de álbumes y giras de la John McLaughlin/Mahavishnu Orchestra (Apocalypse, Visions of the Emerald Beyond). Mientras tanto, se convirtió en un prolífico compositor, firmó como artista en solitario con Atlantic Records a principios de 1975, publicó su primer álbum Upon The Wings Of Music ese mismo año y empezó a hacer giras con su propia banda. Durante la década siguiente, Jean-Luc recorrió el mundo en repetidas ocasiones y grabó 12 álbumes consecutivos que alcanzaron el top 5 en las listas de jazz de Billboard y vendieron millones de copias. Las primeras grabaciones de Atlantic, como Aurora e Imaginary Voyage, de 1976, le consagraron como figura del creciente movimiento jazz-rock estadounidense. En 1977 alcanzó el top 40 con el álbum Enigmatic Ocean y de nuevo en 1978 con Cosmic Messenger. En 1984, Louis Schwarzberg produjo para Individual Choice un revolucionario vídeo con imágenes a intervalos. Junto con Herbie Hancock, Ponty se convirtió en uno de los primeros músicos de jazz en tener un vídeo musical. Además de grabar y salir de gira con su propio grupo, Ponty también interpretó algunas de sus composiciones con el New Music Ensemble de Pittsburgh, la Radio City Orchestra de Nueva York, así como con orquestas sinfónicas de Montreal, Toronto, Oklahoma City y Tokio. A finales de los 80, grabó un par de álbumes, The Gift of Time y Storytelling para Columbia. En Tchokola, publicado por Epic en 1991, Ponty combinó por primera vez sus violines acústicos y eléctricos con los potentes sonidos polirrítmicos de África Occidental. También actuó durante dos meses en Estados Unidos y Canadá con un elenco de expatriados africanos que había conocido en la escena musical de París. En 1993, Ponty regresó al Atlantic de forma impresionante con No Absolute Time. Trabajando con músicos americanos y africanos, Jean-Luc amplió las exploraciones de Tchokola con un resultado conmovedor y lleno de alma. "Hay toda una escena de músicos africanos de primera categoría en París", afirma. "Tenía mucha curiosidad y quería instruirme en estos ritmos, que eran totalmente nuevos para mis oídos". En 1995, Ponty se unió al guitarrista Al Di Meola y al bajista Stanley Clarke para grabar un álbum acústico bajo el nombre de The Rite of Strings. Este trío de estrellas también emprendió una gira de seis meses por Norteamérica, Sudamérica y Europa que les valió el elogio de la crítica intercontinental. Ponty reagrupó a su banda estadounidense en 1996 para realizar actuaciones en directo tras la publicación de una antología en doble CD de las producciones de Ponty para Atlantic Records titulada Le Voyage. Uno de estos conciertos se grabó en Detroit, Michigan, ante 6000 fans. Fue publicado en febrero de 1997 por Atlantic Records con el título Live at Chene Park. En 1997, Jean-Luc Ponty volvió a reunir a su grupo de músicos occidentales y africanos para proseguir esta nueva fusión que había iniciado en 1991. Juntos estuvieron de gira durante 3 años desde las islas Hawai hasta Polonia y triunfaron tanto en Norteamérica como en Europa. Ponty también interpretó un aclamado dúo con el bajista Miroslav Vitous en diciembre del 99. En enero de 2000, participó en la grabación de Lalo Schifrin con una big band, Esperanto. En junio de 2001, Ponty interpretó dúos con Vadim Repin, la joven estrella rusa del violín clásico, y también con la violinista de jazz estadounidense Regina Carter en el Festival de Música de Cine de Polonia. Un enfoque universal de la música que siempre ha sido la esencia de la motivación y el trabajo de Ponty. En agosto de 2001, Jean-Luc Ponty publicó su nuevo CD de estudio Life Enigma en su propio sello (J.L.P. Productions, Inc.), una vuelta a su concepto de los años 70 con una producción muy moderna. Ponty tocó todos los instrumentos en algunos temas y se unió a los miembros de su banda para realizar magníficas interpretaciones en otros: William Lecomte (teclados), Guy Nsangué Akwa (bajo), Thierry Arpino (batería) y Moustapha Cissé (percusión). Ponty ofreció un concierto de gran éxito con su banda en su ciudad natal de Avranches, en la provincia francesa de Normandía, el 21 de septiembre de 2001. También fue homenajeado durante una ceremonia especial en el Ayuntamiento, obteniendo por fin el reconocimiento de sus compatriotas. A continuación se embarcó en una exitosa gira de conciertos por Estados Unidos en octubre-noviembre de 2001, recibiendo un fuerte y leal apoyo de sus fans a pesar de la incertidumbre que siguió a los atentados terroristas del 11 de septiembre. En mayo de 2001, Ponty grabó un memorable concierto con los mismos músicos en la soberbia ópera de Dresde (Alemania). Esta grabación se publicó en julio de 2002 en un CD titulado Live at Semper Opera (J.L.P. Productions, Inc. - Navarre Distribution en Norteamérica y Le Chant du Monde-Harmonia Mundi en Europa). En enero de 2003, Jean-Luc realiza su primera gira por la India, 7 conciertos en 6 grandes ciudades para el Global Music Festival organizado por el violinista indio L. Subramaniam. Jean-luc llevó consigo a su bajista Guy Nsangué Akwa, ambos actuaron con la banda de Subramaniam, y al batería Billy Cobham, que también fue estrella invitada en esa gira. Ponty también realizó una extensa gira por Estados Unidos en otoño. En 2004, la versión PAL del primer DVD In Concert de Jean-Luc Ponty se editó en Alemania (Pirate Records 202756-9), en Francia-Italia-España (Le Chant du Monde/Hamonia Mundi 974 1195). La versión NTSC también se editó en 2004 en Norteamérica (J.L.P. Productions, Inc./Navarre Distribution JLP 004). Contiene un concierto en directo con su banda filmado en Varsovia en 1999, mezclado en 5.1, además de material extra, como una película de 11 minutos de viajes y escenas entre bastidores. In Concert también está disponible en CD en algunos países. Jean Luc Ponty & His Group realizó una gira en 2004 por Francia, Alemania, Austria, Hungría, Lituania e India, en su primer concierto como banda completa en Bombay. Ponty también realizó una gira de reunión con Stanley Clarke y Al Di Meola como Rite of Strings de junio a octubre de 2004 en EE.UU. y Canadá. En 2005, Ponty ha estado de gira con un nuevo proyecto llamado Trio! en colaboración con Stanley Clarke al contrabajo y Bela Fleck al banjo. En 2006 Ponty volvió a reunir a "Jean Luc Ponty & His Band" y realizó giras por EE.UU., Chile, Venezuela, Europa Occidental y Oriental, Rusia, Oriente Medio e India; también grabaron un nuevo álbum de estudio llamado The Atacama Experience, en el que los guitarristas Allan Holdsworth y Philip Catherine aparecen en algunos temas. Este nuevo CD ha sido publicado en junio de 2007 por Koch Records en Norteamérica y por Universal en Europa, y ha recibido 4 estrellas en la revista estadounidense de jazz Down Beat, así como elogiosas críticas a escala internacional. La mayoría de los críticos dicen que es uno de sus mejores discos desde Enigmatic Ocean. Las giras de conciertos siguieron al lanzamiento de este álbum en EE.UU., Canadá y Europa en 2007 y 2008. A finales de 2008, "Jean Luc Ponty & His Band" se convirtió en un cuarteto sin percusión, un regreso al "sonido Ponty" de los años 70-80 en una versión más jazzística. 2009 comenzó con un concierto en el prestigioso teatro LA FENICE de Venecia (Italia), al que siguieron más conciertos en el extranjero y una primera aparición de la banda de JLP en México. En septiembre, Ponty actuó como invitado del trío Chick Corea - Stanley Clarke - Lenny White junto con Chaka Khan en una velada especial en el Hollywood Bowl, con Stevie Wonder apareciendo por sorpresa para una jam al final. En noviembre, JLP & His Band se embarcaron en una gira por Estados Unidos que comenzó en San Diego (California) y finalizó en Nueva York. En 2010 Ponty tiene previsto actuar con su banda en el Caribe, Europa y Rusia y también dio varios conciertos en Europa a dúo con el pianista alemán Wolfgang Dauner. 2011 ha sido un gran año para JLP. Recibió el "Jazz Legend Award" de manos del alcalde de Cork (Irlanda) tras su actuación con su banda en el Guinness Jazz Festival. En total, JLP ofreció 88 conciertos en 2011, 75 de ellos con "Return To Forever IV" (36 en Estados Unidos - 21 en Europa - 6 en Australia - 6 en Japón - 2 en Corea del Sur - 1 en Israel). También destacó la gira de noviembre por Sudamérica con la "Atlantic Years Band", una reunión de los miembros de la banda americana de Jean Luc de los años 80. 2012 comenzó con un concierto en Sochi, Rusia, donde el mundialmente famoso violista clásico y director de orquesta Yuri Bashmet entregó el Gran Premio del Festival de las Artes de Sochi a Jean Luc tras su actuación con su banda. Posteriormente, en abril, Jean-Luc ofreció un concierto muy especial para celebrar sus 50 años de carrera en el Theatre du Chatelet de París, en el que interpretó su música con la orquesta sinfónica Concerts Pasdeloup y también con artistas invitados como Stanley Clarke, Bireli Lagrene, Daniel Humair y Eddy Louiss. En enero de 2013 JLP participó en una gala en honor del cumpleaños de Yuri Bashmet con la State Symphony Orchestra New Russia en Moscú. Después, en abril, Jean Luc Ponty & His Band actuaron en el Festival de Jazz de Ciudad del Cabo (Sudáfrica). También en 20013, Herbie Hancock le invitó a actuar en Estambul en el "Día Internacional del Jazz" para la UNESCO, con un elenco de estrellas del jazz como Wayne Shorter, John McLaughlin y George Duke, por nombrar algunos. Ponty también fundó un nuevo cuarteto con su hija, la pianista, cantante y compositora Clara Ponty, para actuar en Francia y Alemania. Ponty también interpretó su música con los 89 músicos de la Orquesta Filarmónica de Novosibirsk para el Festival de Navidad de Siberia. En 2014 Ponty ha grabado un álbum como trío acústico con Stanley Clarke al contrabajo y el guitarrista gitano-francés Bireli Lagrene, que saldrá en Impulse/Universal en otoño de 2015. Jean-Luc ha formado recientemente la Anderson Ponty Band con Jon Anderson, cofundador y vocalista de la banda británica de rock progresivo YES, un CD y un DVD saldrán a la venta en 2015 seguidos de una gira mundial de conciertos.
