Name: Sunday Walk
Brand: Jean-Luc Ponty

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

0217138MSW

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Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2022-02-25

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Proper

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

4029759171386

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Total Cap

1 / Extended format: No / LP / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No / black

0217137MSW

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4029759171379

{"blocks": [{"data": {"text": "4029759171379"}, "type": "paragraph"}]}

1 / CD / Extended format: No / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

Artist

Jean-Luc Ponty

Genre GB

Jazz

Label GB

Jean-Luc Ponty is a French jazz musician, composer, and multi-instrumentalist. Born on September 29, 1942 in Avranches, France, he is renowned for his exceptional skills on the violin and keyboards. With a career spanning several decades, Ponty has established himself as one of the most influential figures in the jazz fusion genre.

Throughout his musical journey, Jean-Luc Ponty has collaborated with esteemed artists such as *Return To Forever*, *Mahavishnu Orchestra*, *Allan Holdsworth*, *Billy Cobham*, and many others. His unique blend of classical training and innovative improvisation sets him apart from other musicians in the industry.

Ponty's compositions are characterized by their intricate melodies and harmonies that effortlessly merge elements of jazz, rock, and world music. His mastery over both acoustic and electric instruments allows him to create captivating soundscapes that captivate audiences worldwide.

MPS is a German jazz label that was founded in 1968 by Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer. It started as a successor to SABA and quickly gained recognition for its exceptional sound quality. Often compared to the renowned Blue Note label, MPS became known as Most Perfect Sound.

From 1971 onwards, MPS releases were distributed by BASF and later by Metronome Records GmbH (renamed Metronome Musik GmbH in 1977). However, in 1983, due to declining budgets for recording jazz music, Brunner-Schwer shifted his focus to classical music and sold the rights of MPS to Philips. Eventually, the label found its way under Polydor's ownership and its recordings were re-released by Motor Music starting from 1993.

In Hamburg, Universal Jazz Germany took over the MPS archives in 1999 while Speakers Corner Records released various vinyl reissues. After ten years since Brunner-Schwer's passing, Edel acquired MPS's back catalogue from Universal on January 7th, 2014. Now led by Andreas Brunner-Schwer and Friedhelm Schulz, the team has returned to Villingen where they continue recording new material.

Legendary drummer Kenny Clarke compared Jean-Luc Ponty to Dizzy Gillespie. Fellow violinist Stuff Smith marveled, “He plays violin like Coltrane plays saxophone.” 

Born in 1942, the French violinist transported jazz violin playing into the world of modern jazz. On Frank Zappa’s urging, Ponty moved to the States in 1970. Over the next years he toured with Zappa, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Chick Corea’s “Return to Forever”. 

On the 1967 Sunday Walk the band saunters through two blues, a waltz, and a standard before reaching Suite for Claudia which begins at a blistering pace with Ponty’s saxophone-like “brilliance and fire” playing. It then settles into a medium swing groove with Wolfgang Dauner’s infectious piano play followed by a smoldering Ponty. Daniel Humair’s crisp drum solo segues into a heart-felt waltz. After all, this was written for Ponty’s wife. Ponty is here with a group of Europe’s finest at their youthful best. 

The way they play, it’s all a walk in the park.