The Very Best of Jean-Luc Ponty

Album Review

This 2000 release should have been titled The Very Best of Jean-Luc Ponty's Atlantic Years because it contains some of the best recordings that he made during his stay at Atlantic from 1975-1985. The CD doesn't get into Ponty's pre-Atlantic work, some of which is essentially straight-ahead jazz; nor does it get into his Columbia or Epic output of the late '80s and early '90s. Although Ponty's pre-Atlantic and post-Atlantic recordings are noteworthy, it was during his stay at Atlantic that the French violinist did his most important, innovative, and essential work. The Very Best of Jean-Luc Ponty doesn't take as comprehensive a look at his Atlantic years as Rhino's two-CD set, Le Voyage: The Jean-Luc Ponty Anthology — this collection is more concise, making it the most logical choice if you're exploring his music for the first time. To its credit, Rhino presents the material in chronological order; so one hears how much Ponty evolved during his Atlantic years. While gems from '70s albums like Upon the Wings of Music, Aurora, Voyage, and Enigmatic Ocean are characterized by their spontaneity and their improvisatory spirit, tracks from 1983's Individual Choice and 1985's Fables are more high-tech and heavily produced. Ordinarily, it's disappointing to see a great improviser offering less improvisation, but the composing on those albums is so strong that you're inclined to be forgiving. From a compositional standpoint, high-tech '80s pieces like "Infinite Pursuit" and Individual Choice's title track are excellent — even if they lack the spontaneity of Ponty's '70s treasures. All of Ponty's Atlantic albums are worth hearing, and some of them are truly essential. But for beginners, The Very Best of Jean-Luc Ponty would be the best starting point.