08/02/17 Jean Luc Ponty - Fusion Violin Innovator

Jean-Luc Ponty is a pioneer and undisputed 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 France. His father taught violin, his mother taught piano. At sixteen, he was admitted to a prestigious conservatory in Paris, graduating two years later with the institution's highest award, Premier Prix. In turn, he was immediately hired by a major symphony orchestra, 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 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… so he made a choice and took a chance with jazz, with a powerful sound that distinguished himself with be-bop phrasings and a punchy style influenced more by horn players than by anything previously tried on the violin.
His notoriety grew with remarkable leaps and by 1964, at age 22, he released his debut solo album. Since that time Ponty has been recording and touring the world with his own groups and has done collaborations with other great musicians including Allan Holdsworth, Al Di Meola, Stanley Clarke, West African musicians, Bela Fleck, Lalo Schifrin, Chick Corea and Return To Forever IV, violinists Nigel Kennedy, Mark O'Connor, L. Subramaniam from India, singer Jon Anderson from Yes, and his daughter pianist-singer-composer Clara Ponty. Jean Luc has also performed his music with symphony orchestras in the U.S.A, Canada, Japan, Western and Eastern Europe, Brazil and Russia.
http://ponty.com/
 

Om Podcasten

Welcome to “Making It With Terry Wollman”, the show that explores the secrets, successes and strategies for making it in the music biz.In the studio, the classroom, and in my travels, I so often get questions about the creative process, so I created this show to focus on what it takes to have a lasting career in the ever-changing landscape of the music business. You’re really in for a treat, as I have invited my friends, some of the best and brightest in music, to share their stories. I guarantee you’re going to love it.Time passes quickly, and I’ve learned that we should do what’s in our hearts, and do it well without apologies or excuses. I encourage you to create music in your own unique way and express your artistry with joy and abandon. Be willing to work uncompromisingly for what you believe in. Success will have a better chance of finding you when you live your life with integrity, focus, and passion. Be selfish with your discipline and selfless in your performance. And have fun. Remember, it’s called playing.Terry Wollman moved from Miami to Los Angeles after graduating from the prestigious Berklee College of Music with a degree in Arranging. He quickly built a solid reputation as an in-demand Producer, Guitarist, Music Director and Composer. Terry has worked with an array of artists including Melissa Manchester, Billy Preston, The Crusaders, Little Richard, Wilson Phillips, Joan Baez, Joe Walsh, Keb’ Mo’, and Eartha Kitt, to name just a few. Terry has produced artists including Tony Bennett, Dick Van Dyke, Dave Grusin with Alan Bergman, and Melissa Manchester’s 20th album “You Gotta Love The Life” with special guests artists Stevie Wonder, Joe Sample, Dave Koz, Dionne Warwick and Al Jarreau. Wollman’s debut album “Bimini” (1988) received worldwide critical acclaim. He recently released his 7th CD, a 25 year retrospective entitled “Silver Collection”. His first single “Welcome To Paradise” (featuring Terry with Dave Koz on alto sax) debuted at #1 Most Added on Billboard.