JEAN-LUC PONTY: LIVE

In my opinion, there are some live albums which deserved to be released as double albums instead to be released only in one disc. This is the case with this album which was recorded in late 1978. I think that Ponty has made very good albums in his career, but I think that in the seventies he recorded his music which was more close to the Jazz Rock / Fusion style, from which he has been of the best musicians I have listened to. He always has recruited very good musicians for his band, and in this live album every musician plays very well, even having the opportunity to do some solo parts (with the exception of drummer Casey Scheverel, whose playing is particularly very good in "Imaginary Voyage Part IV" on which he uses two bass drums in his playing). I think that Ponty enjoys playing with very good musicians and he is not "selfish" as he gives them space to "shine" and some freedom to improvise. This is what I can hear in this album. "No Strings Attached" is a solo electric violin musical piece on which he used a lot of electronic effects. The album is full of energy, sometimes heavy and also with a lot of melodies . At the end of the CD, one wants to have a second live CD from this band, but unfortunately this is not the case. I hope that one day Ponty could release an expanded and remastered version of this very good live album which has a very good recording and mixing.