Customer Reviews

No Absolute Time

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
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Remarkably, I (Mr. Ponty's biggest fan) did not care for this recoridng initially. Because I expected (exactly WHAT I expected is hard to say,but I did "expect") I was not able to accept the recording for what it was. That was very unwise on my part.

Needless to say, I learned to appreciate "No absolute time" for its conceptual and compositional brilliance. This is his second recording with the African "all-stars" (my little nickname), and although Tchokola was good in its own right, it seemed to be mostly African with a guest violinist. No Absolute Time was more of a culmination of a musical bonding between Ponty and his newfound cohorts. Simply put: they melded. They stirred together and blended like warm broth.

If you enjoyed Storyteller, Civilized Evil, and Mystical Adventures (still my personal favorite) you will love the versatility Ponty shows here. Just don't "expect" anything. I've always enjoyed his freedom to explore time and rhythm. His play with time signatures is a staple in a gereat deal of his work to date and he certainly doesn't disappoint here. "No Absolute Time" may be stating just that. But, don't take my word for it. Check it out for yourself. If you'r e a JLP fan who doesn't already own this CD, you'll be glad you did.

The world music rhythms and cool rhymes makes this 1993 release by Jean-Luc Ponty a brilliant and picturesque, with a healthy dose of electronics in the steady mix.

The 10 tracks - clocking in at 56:53 - each have smooth grooves that are paced by the percussion of Abdou M'Boup, Moustapha Cisse, Kemo Kouyate, Mokhtar Samba and Sydney Thiam. And as with Ponty's work, the guitar, bass and keyboards are vital, with Martin Atangana, Guy N'Sangue and Wally Minko, respectively, holding down those roles.

Ponty's use of synthesizers and electric violin brings impressive artistry to his vision that marks a return to Atlantic Records. The standout cut is Blue Mambo, but close behind are Savannah, The African Spirit and The Child in You.

The album peaked at #5 on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Album chart. It earned the solid ranking due to the wonderful textures and expressiveness of each number

This was my first foray into the world of Jean-Luc Ponty. I was so enamored, I immediately purchased a couple more. While the others were very nice, this has been my absolute favorite. Lifts my spirits when I'm down.

This album was pretty hard to find on iTunes, and other places that stream cool music. It has Very nice arrangements and odd-signatures in most of their tunes! A must-have for any musician! :D

... and it sounds a lot like some other jazz that I like a lot, like Jan Garbarek for example, or like Josh Redman in some of his phases. I'm not put off by the violin, although the violin hasn't ever claimed much "market share" in jazz. In fact, I picked this CD out of a bargain bin because of the violin, because I'd heard of Jean-Luc Ponty as a violinist. On this CD he doubles -- multi-tracks? -- on synthesizer and really he plays "second fiddle" to his very creative pianist Wally Minko. The rest of the band, judging by their names, are all French Africans. Lots of colorful percussion, lots of hypno-minimalist riffs ...

... but it's not exciting. It sounds like lounge music, stuff you can generate by the musical meter or kilometer. Where's the soul? Where's the life experience?

Ponty at his intriguing best. The music sings,bubbles rocks and surprises. You can enjoy the happiness of the group making it.

I've been listening to JLP since 1983, when during a visit to a friends house he put on "Open Mind". "Watching Birds" hooked me instantly, and I went out and got everything to date. Each subsequent album/CD was alike striking gold. All hits, no misses (except for "Live at Cheney Park" which is impossible to listen to). JLP's music is the soundtrack of my life. Its in my car, its in my house, its on my MP3 player.
While on an assignment in Saudi Arabia, I had "No Absolute Time" in my car all the time. I met my future wife there , and "Savannah" became our song. Savannah almost became our daughters name, because of the smooth rythyms, memories, and the variety of melodies. That cut alone is like three songs in one.
No Absolute Time is a winner from top to bottom. You cant listen to this and not be moved. Enjoy!!