In 1969, the legendary Frank Zappa introduced the rock music world to the stellar electric violin and keyboard work of Jean-Luc Ponty with the collaborative masterwork King Kong: Jean Luc Ponty Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa.
Featuring a handful of Zappa's earlier classics like Idiot Bastard Son, as well as the exceptional orchestral piece Music for Electric Violin and Low Budget Orchestra, King Kong surely has become a progressive rock/jazz masterpiece.


Jean-Luc Ponty

King Kong:
Jean-Luc Ponty Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa

1970


CD / 1993 / Blue Note / 320Kbps


Tracklist

1. King Kong

2. Idiot Bastard Son

3. Twenty Small Cigars

4. How Would You Like To Have A Head Like That

5. Music For Electric Violin And Low Budget Orchestra

6. America Drinks And Goes Home



Personnel:

Jean-Luc Ponty – electric violin, baritone violectra

Frank Zappa – guitar

George Duke – piano, electric piano

Ernie Watts – alto and tenor sax

Ian Underwood – tenor sax

Buell Neidlinger – bass

Wilton Felder – Fender bass

Gene Estes – vibraphone, percussion

John Guerin – drums

Art Tripp – drums

Donald Christlieb – bassoon

Gene Cipriano – oboe, English horn

Vincent DeRosa – French horn, descant

Arthur Maebe – French horn, tuben

Jonathan Meyer – flute

Harold Bemko – cello

Milton Thomas – viola


Made in the wake of Ponty's appearance on Zappa's jazz-rock masterpiece Hot Rats, these 1969 recordings were significant developments in both musicians' careers.
In terms of jazz-rock fusion, Zappa was one of the few musicians from the rock side of the equation who captured the complexity - not just the feel - of jazz, and this project was an indicator of his growing credibility as a composer.
It's a showcase for Zappa's love of blurring genres and Ponty's versatility in handling everything from lovely, simple melodies to creepy dissonance, standard jazz improvisation to avant-garde, nearly free group passages.
In the end, Zappa's personality comes through a little more clearly (his compositional style pretty much ensures it), but King Kong firmly established Ponty as a risk-taker and a strikingly original new voice for jazz violin.
Highly recommended.


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