Cosmic Messenger

In the early days 8212; circa 1960 8212; when he was just another violin player in the Paris jazz scene, drummers would fish out their bru...

In the early days 8212; circa 1960 8212; when he was just another violin player in the Paris jazz scene, drummers would fish out their brushes on seeing him and his violin. And as they used to for the leading light of the time Stephane Grappelli, the percussionists would start playing for him, softly, delicately, afraid they would drown out the notes of the stringed instrument. But on hearing his music and feeling his energy and punch, they would drop their brushes and grab the sticks, for now, the sound of the drums would be drowned. This is the legend of Jean-Luc Ponty, the man who electrified his violin to compete with hard blowing brass players and went on to unleash a stirring raga-like improvisation style that broke through barriers to blaze a trail in jazz fusion that others have since followed.

8216;8216;I can tell you that the violin is a lot more accepted today than it was when I started in 1962-64,8217;8217; says the bearded Frenchman talking about his struggle to establish the instrument in the jazz world. 8216;8216;But I think I convinced a lot of people. My approach was to change the sound of the instrument to adapt it to modern music. Grappelli did it the other way, he adapted the music to the instrument keeping the European Gypsy sound. I am not saying my approach is better, but I was from a different generation and had other ideas about the violin.8217;8217;

Here in India for the first time to receive the Lakshminarayana International Award and perform at the annual Lashminarayana Global Music Festival, Ponty is part of an ensemble of world musicians who have been brought together by Dr L Subramaniam to honour the memory of his father. Two concerts in Bangalore, one each in Thiruvanthapuram and Mumbai are already over. Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata are scheduled for the next two weeks. What about a solo tour? 8216;8216;I have received invitations from concert promoters who would like to bring my band. So this might happen,8217;8217; says the musician.

The friendship between Dr LS and Ponty finds basis not just in the fact that they share a penchant for that extra fifth string in their violins. 8216;8216;Mani and I jammed for a TV documentary two years ago,8217;8217; says Ponty. 8216;8216;He came to my house and we just improvised. That was the first time. Last September, I recorded one track for his upcoming album.8217;8217;

In fact such collaborations strengthened his career all throughout, all of them proving to be stupendous successes. In 1967, his performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival led to a US recording contract resulting in albums like 8216;Electric Connection8217; with Gerald Wilson Big Band and 8216;Jean Luc Ponty Experience8217; with the George Duke Trio.

Two years hence, he had Frank Zappa composing music for his famous King Kong solo album, and soon found himself touring with The Mothers. 8216;8216;Playing with this bizarre, eccentric talent was a very interesting experience,8217;8217; recalls Ponty. 8216;8216;Zappa wanted a very strong jazz soloist as he took out all his old, complex instrumental pieces. But in the end, he proved to be a prisoner of his own image. His fans did not like it, forcing him to go back to satire and commercial rock. It was then that I left and Zappa did not take it well.8217;8217;

This was when Ponty joined the second edition of John McLaughlin8217;s Mahavishnu Orchestra. 8216;8216;John and I were of the same generation, and we went through the same music experience from classical to jazz to blues to rock,8217;8217; he says. His admiration for McLaughlin8217;s music made him put aside his solo project and go with him.

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Today, Ponty8217;s music encapsulates the same astral soundscapes, mystical backdrops and jazz fusion his name is synonymous with. Moving ahead by cutting down on technology and incorporating West African rhythms check out the 8217;91 Tchokola and also 2002 Live at Semper Opera, his fiddle still has the sweep and swoop of a hawk searching for its prey. Only Ponty aims for the heart and touches the mind.