November 2004

Jean-Luc Ponty
In Concert
JLP

By Lucy Tauss

Jean-Luc Ponty's In Concert (J.L.P.), recorded in Warsaw in 1999, finds the violinist and his prodigiously gifted band engaging in dynamic group jams and dazzling solos. And they cover plenty of stylistic ground while they're at it. On the high-spirited "Jig," Ponty's agile soloing is matched by a fleet performance by limber-fingered pianist William Lecomte, while "Mouna Bowa" is a sprightly, Latin-tinged dance, and on the graceful "Pastoral Harmony" the laid-back rhythm is countered by another lightning-fast Lecomte solo. Ponty's violin is bathed in keyboard atmosphere on the dreamy "Memories of California," and the sprightly "Caracas" features a lengthy solo by percussionist Moustapha Cisse. (For those who'd rather watch the performance, In Concert is also available as a DVD.)