Jean-Luc Ponty made a strong impression with his appearance at the 1967 Monterey Jazz Festival. Just barely 26 at the time of this obscure but worthy album (his first to appear on an American label),
Ponty is teamed with pianist
George Gruntz, trumpeter
Carmell Jones, altoist
Leo Wright, drummer
Daniel Humair and an unidentified bassist. In addition to five originals by either
Ponty or Gruntz, they perform a pair of pop songs (including
Miriam Makeba's "Pata Pata") and
the Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends." Already a very original player,
Ponty's style at this early point was far beyond hard bop and looked a little toward both pop and
John Coltrane. Unfortunately, this fine effort will be difficult to find and has yet to be reissued on CD. ~ Scott Yanow