
Jean-Luc Ponty - The Atacama Experience
Violin, Keyboards – Jean-Luc Ponty [click here to see more vinyl featuring Jean-Luc Ponty]
Piano, Keyboards – William Lecomte
Drums – Thierry Arpino
Electric Bass – Guy Nsangué
Percussion - Taffa Cissé
Guitar – Allan Holdsworth (A4), Philip Catherine (A2, A5, B5)
Written by Jean-Luc Ponty (except A2 & B6), Bud Powell (A2), William Lecomte (B6)
1 LP, standard sleeve
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33 RPM
Size : 12'’
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : unspecified
Label : MPS Records
Original Label : Koch
Engineered by Jean-Luc Ponty & Karim Sai
Mixed by Karim Sai
Produced by Jean-Luc Ponty
Photography by Claudia Ponty, Kimberly Wright, Frederic Houis, Jacky Lepage
Liner Notes by Jean-Luc Ponty
Originally released in May 2007
Reissued in 2025
Tracks:
Side A:
- Intro
- Parisian Thoroughfare
- Premonition
- Point of No Return
- Back in the 60'S
- Without Regrets
- Celtic Steps
Side B:
- Desert Crossing
- Last Memories of Her
- The Acatama Experience
- On My Way to Bombay
- Still in Love
- Euphoria
- To and Fro
Reviews:
“This live date by violinist Jean-Luc Ponty marks a transitional period in his career, where he was making the switch from an acoustic to an electric rhythm section, but prior to his incorporation of banks of synthesizers and special effects. One of several recordings he made with keyboardist George Duke in 1969 (they would later work together under Frank Zappa for a brief stretch in the early '70s), this set opens with Duke's very catchy "Foosh," a choppy mix of modal and funk. Wolfgang Dauner's meandering "Pamukkale" is a bit of a disappointment. Ponty's "Contact" is easily the most adventurous track of the set, featuring the leader's furious violin. Their treatment of Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island" is fairly straight-ahead, without any particular surprises, though it might have been more interesting had Duke been playing a grand piano instead of a muddy-sounding electric piano. Bassist John Heard and drummer Dick Berk pretty much stick to timekeeping roles. This English LP, released by Sunset, is identical in musical content to the World Pacific LP initially released in the U.S. as Live at Thee Experience.” AllMusic Review by Ken Dryden
Ratings :
Discogs : 4.5 / 5 ; AllMusic : 3.5 / 5