Learn Jean-Luc Ponty - 1983 Private Choice

Individual Choice is an album past times French jazz fusion violinist Jean-Luc Ponty that was released inward 1983. Here is Ponty's radical intermission amongst his past, 1 that farther tightened his command over his arts and crafts acre ironically liberating his muse. In laying out his attractive novel music on synthesizers too sequencers, emphasizing revolving ostinato patterns, Ponty rejuvenated his melodic gift, too every bit a result, fifty-fifty inward this controlled setting, his violin solos own got on a novel freshness too exuberance. Except for 2 tracks, Ponty does without a formal musical rhythm department -- too on 2 other tracks, he goes it completely alone. Indeed, he does best of all when he has no 1 but himself to play amongst on "Computer Incantations for World Peace" too the lovely mood slice "Eulogy to Oscar Romero." Guest interloper George Duke (a boyfriend refugee from Frank Zappa's band) contributes a Minimoog solo to ""In Spiritual Love," where Ponty provides his ain percussive backing on musical rhythm computer. Even if 1 grumbles on regulation close the reduction of spontaneity inward Ponty's music over the Atlantic years, the musical destination hither absolutely justifies the means. Don't immature adult woman it.

Recorded inward 1983 inward Los Angeles, this is JLP's outset recording where he plays all the violin, synthesizer too musical rhythm figurer parts, using 1 of the really outset sequencers, except for 1 slice which was recorded amongst Allan Holdsworth (guitars) Randy Jackson (bass) too Rayford Griffin (drums). George Duke (synthesizer) too Allan Holdsworth too contribute their solos to 2 other pieces. The championship rail was used for a revolutionary promotional video made of fourth dimension lapse photography past times Louis Schwartzberg.

On 1983’s Individual Choice, Ponty begins to abandon the drum-keys-bass-guitar-violin formula that he’s used since Upon The Wings Of Music inward favor of experimenting amongst differing configurations to jibe the compositions. The lawsuit is an album that creates to a greater extent than mood than sponteniety, a form of hybrid betwixt fusion too novel age.

And acre I’m non a big novel historic menstruum guy, Ponty manages to add together simply plenty improvision, clever arrangements too compositional skills to choke along me interested. The lawsuit is an album that isn’t quite every bit consistent every bit Mystical Adventures; however, the peaks achieve greater heights, because to a greater extent than oft than not, the conduct a opportunity taking pays off.

The opener is in all probability the most New Age-ish of the whole album. But the sequencer excercise “Computer Incantations for World Peace” gets rescued past times Ponty’s 5 string violin inward the instant one-half of the song.

Following is the outset appearance of the musical rhythm department too Rayford Griffin is a major forcefulness on the drums. That too a killer chord sequence inward the caput brand “Far from the Beaten Paths” 1 of Ponty’s best rockers of all time.

Following is Ponty (mostly) solo again, where on “In Spiritual Love” Ponty programs all the synths too percussion, every bit good every bit violin, both plucked too bowed. But the add-on of a masterful mini Moog solo past times quondam cohort George Duke–who recorded his part remotely inward his ain studio–gives the whole vocal a kicking inward the pants.

The flip side of Individual Choice begins amongst a brief synthesized mournful tribute to murdered Salvadoran
archbishop Oscar Romero. The adjacent rail “Nostalgia”, similar “In Spiritual Love”, is Ponty 1 time to a greater extent than providing an ideal setup for his invitee soloist; an affecting melodic trouble provides the perfect mood for guitarist Allan Holdsworth’s weeping, legato lines.

The championship vocal that follows is Ponty doing all the operate again. However, amongst no foil this fourth dimension around, it isn’t quite every bit interesting. Finally, the amount band appears 1 time to a greater extent than for only the instant fourth dimension on the closer “In Spite Of All”, highlighted past times Ponty trading fours amongst Holdsworth. Indeed, I wouldn’t own got minded at all if Holdsworth had appeared on every track.

Nowadays, Jean-Luc Ponty is soundless performing too subsequently a long lay over, is in conclusion recording records again. I sometimes wonder what has happened to simply about of the other musicians on these 2 records discussed here, every bit they were all quite talented. But subsequently hearing nix close him for many years, I know forthwith what the bass thespian is upwards to.

If you lot desire to know what he’s doing these days, simply melody into American Idol tonight. He’ll travel sitting on Paula’s right.

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Track listing:

All songs past times Jean-Luc Ponty.

1 "Computer Incantations for World Peace" – 5:41
2 "Far from the Beaten Paths" – 5:59
iii "In Spiritual Love" – 7:01
4 "Eulogy to Oscar Romero" – 2:32
5 "Nostalgia" – 5:02
six "Individual Choice" – 4:56
vii "In Spite of All" – 5:55

Personnel:

Jean-Luc Ponty – violin, organ, synthesizer, keyboards, vocals, keyboard bass, musical rhythm programming
Allan Holdsworth – guitar
Rayford Griffin – drums, percussion
Randy Jackson – bass
George Duke – synthesizer, Mini-moog