This is actually a new record/CD to my collection. But, yours truly was so moved by it, it must be highlighted right here and right now. There's no time to wait.
This record is an adventure from start to finish. The music is absolutely mesmerizing, combing Jean Luc Ponty's masterful command of the violin with his backing band that includes Darryl Steurmer on guitar (a player who can deliver extremely fast and yet articulate arpeggios, very similarly to his more well known contemporary, Al di Meola), Patrice Rushen on keyboards (Rhodes electric piano), Tom Fowler on bass, and Norman Fearington on drums.
"Is Once Enough?" is very reminiscent of Weather Report in a way, with Fearington's drumming propelling an unstoppable groove. Ponty's violin Steurmer's guitar, and Rushen's electric piano all are propelled to lofty heights in this adventurous romp of a tune. Thought it doesn't have the ultra wild timbre changes accomplished by Zawinul, Shorter and company in the aforementioned band, it possesses the same level of speed and technical skill in crafting an adventurous number that is listenable. It swirls and dives all over the place, coming to a succinct ending.
"Renaissance" (which was Ponty's featured piece with Return To Forever), is presented here in very much the same way as his band mates in RTF played it on their 2011 world tour, giving little doubt to the fact that it was indeed his composition that he was eager to showcase. Here, the listener finds Ponty crossing that bridge between his training as a classical violinist, while incorporating the nuances of jazz in his playing. Ponty is the one (and maybe only) violinist, who can cross these barriers and make it work, even to a first time listener's ear.
Rushen on grand piano, and Darryl Steurmer on acoustic guitar, really provide a framework for Ponty to work with, and Rushen's piano solo is a thing of beauty in itself. Readers of this blog will recall this song was also in the live album done by Return To Forever from their 2011 tour. Both versions are worth a listen, even though the RTF version is much longer and has room to grow and manipulate into many different layers. The textures and tones used on this number for all instruments are tasteful, and the song comes to a quiet ending.
"Aurora" is in two parts. It starts with Rhodes and guitar, before the rhythm section and Ponty's violin join in immediately. The bass line drives this tune on part one with violin and guitar doing a duet of sorts and then, there are brief drum rolls before the tempo slows and part one ends. In part two, a theme change. It's Ponty and Steurmer playing a bluesy, funky opening interlude duet. The drums come in, the key changes to A minor (literally), and underneath Ponty's soaring lines, the foundation of a groove that is a prototype for modern day jam bands is kind of built up with the drums, bass and Rhodes. Ponty just sails and glides his notes over this, in measured and yet exuberant fashion.
This is proof that he can take the violin to new places where it's never been before. Ponty is the quintessential jazz violinist. Then, in response, Steurmer answers with a very bluesy, yet relatively clean guitar solo. It's got some bite to it, but is very well played and timed spot on. Continue the A minor groove. Steurmer's notes seem to just shoot off the fret board and maintain their earthy, emotive, bluesy quality. Then, it's twin leads (no, not twin lead guitars). But, a duet between violin and guitar. The song modulates to another key and Rushen adds additional bass from a Moog synthesizer, before the tune comes to a close with a flourish.
"Passage of the Dark" opens with a tasteful sequence of notes and a swirling delay on the guitar, or perhaps on the violin even. Ponty could have used an effect pedal, somewhere, though it's hard to tell. Bass, keys and drums fill in briefly before another wild Darryl Stuermer guitar solo, in which he beautifully plays lower and mid range notes with the accent of a wah wah pedal. What guitarist doesn't love wah? Ponty answers him, with a delay effect on the violin. If you listen, you might mistake it for a second guitar. But it's not. Ponty can make the violin sound like a guitar or a synthesizer. He probably had tons of ideas in recording this album.
Return to the main synthesizer and guitar theme with the delay and the clean sounding violin. This is innovative stuff. That caps off the tune. It has to be heard to be believed. "Lost Forest" is next. This song was highlighted in video form earlier on. The intro is majestic with the violin and classical guitar. Ponty shoots for the stars in some of the intro notes, using an echo device more than likely. This time, bass, Rhodes and drums, just find their place as the rhythm section, until Patrice Rushen answers the violin with another tasteful Rhodes solo.
It's complex. But, it's fascinating to the ear. Ponty enters again, gracefully. His notes flow together so well. He's a master of technical skill and beauty when it comes to the violin here. Words cannot really do justice to how he plays. Especially in the latter half of "Lost Forest". More modulating on the same vamp and the drums lessen their pulse just a bit. Ponty and Rushen seem to speak to each other through the notes they play before Jean Luc ends this track with a gorgeous flourish.
"Between You and Me" has a quiet intro where Jean Luc must be using the volume knob on the violin just a bit before switching to a chorus type effect as the bass and the Rhodes once again provide the foundation for his explorations. He's got an intensity to his playing here that's well controlled and doesn't get overly ornate. There's a key change, slightly, before Rushen plays a solo. The drums on this tune are very subtle. Rushen is joined in her piano solo by Ponty and the two weave a tapestry of sound between the Rhodes' glissandos and Ponty's escalating vibrato briefly, before rounding off into the main theme another time. There's definite magic in the last few bars before the tune fades out into some obscure noise.
The last track on the album is "Waking Dream". Maybe it's the last dream someone has in their sleep at sunup just as they are opening their eyes, yawning deeply as another day starts. There's a great contrast between the violin and what seems to be Moog bass or a low toned keyboard, and the Rhodes. The rhythm is held together at first just by Jean Luc Ponty and Patrice Rushen with no involvement of the drums or bass. It's waltz like and hypnotic. This continues through different modulations for a while, ending up on an abrupt E chord to end the tune.
That's where the album comes to a close. "Aurora" is a brilliantly painted sonic tapestry. Certainly, that's how Jean Luc Ponty wanted to put the album together when it was recorded in 1976 which seems to be a watershed year for electric jazz fusion as many great albums in the genre came out that year. It's an enjoyable listen. That's for sure.
1. Is Once Enough?
2. Renaissance
3. Aurora Part I
4. Aurora Part II
5. Passenger of the Dark
6. Lost Forest
7. Between You and Me
8. Waking Dream
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