Jean-Luc Ponty-Live (1979)

By the late 1970s, French violinist Jean-Luc Ponty had an impressive solo career behind him, with over a dozen brilliant albums released, in addition to his excellent collaborations with Frank Zappa and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. At this point, his jazz-rock style, with touches of space fusion, had placed him at the forefront of avant-garde jazz. "Live", his fourth live recording, was recorded during the promotional tour for the album "Cosmic Messenger", a time when his concerts were truly spectacular, brimming with powerful, vibrant, and dynamic jazz-rock, thanks to the contribution of an impressive backing band that included keyboardist Allan Zavod, guitarists Jamie Glaser and Joaquin Lievano, drummers Casey Schelierell and Casey Scheveral, and bassist Ralph Armstrong. However, it is Ponty himself who drives the music, offering a wide variety of electric violin solos (inspired by his hero Stéphane Grappelli), ranging from atmospheric and warm to fluid and vibrant. Among the highlights of this live performance are several excerpts from "Aurora: Part I and II" and the final section of "Imaginary Voyage", while the reflective "Mirage" and the classic jazz-rock track "Egocentric Molecules" exemplify an energetic album brimming with musicianship.