Sunday Walk

Violinist Jean Luc Ponty would become synonymous with the burgeoning jazz-rock fusion movement of the '70s thanks to his work with John McLaughlin and Frank Zappa. But his aggressive, vibrato-less playing in the ‘60s with acoustic jazz outfits is quite groundbreaking in its own way, owing a deep debt to horn players like John Coltrane. Released in 1969, the relatively straight-ahead Sunday Walk featured bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (in what was the first time these friends played together), pianist Wolfgang Dauner, and drummer Daniel Humair. “You’ve Changed” is a rare standard from the violinist, while “Carole’s Garden” is by Denny Zeitlin. The others are group-composed efforts with “Suite for Claudia” perhaps best, showing the direction Ponty would soon go. Originally released on Saba and now available through the revitalized MPS label, this is available digitally for the first time with a new mastering that only enhances an already spectacular-sounding analog sound.