Customer Reviews

Jazz Violin Summit

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The name & artists on this CD have caused it to be confused with the 9/66 "Violin-Summit" recording from MPS. That recording included violinists Asmussen, Grappelly, Ponty & Smith working together in various combinations during a single session. This CD is a total reissue of 2 rather different duo albums recorded 8.5 years apart. The first 5 tracks were recorded 12/73 & released by Inner City as "Ponty/Grappelli", with M Vander-p, P Catherine-g, T Bonfils-b, A Ceccarelli-d. The final 6 tracks were recorded 6/65 & released by Everest as "Stuff Smith with guest Stephane Grappelly", with R Urtreger-p, M Gaudry-b, M Delaporte-d. Smith, recording here near the end of his career, was a pop hit in the 30s. Ponty was part of the 70s fusion thing. The sets are different. I have enjoyed both over many years. Many CD reissues combine dissimilar sets from the old LPs. It's a nice reissue inappropriately named.

Made in USA in 1999, Serial# CD-477, Playing Time 73:52

I was somewhat disappointed by this: I was hoping I'd finally put my hands on a JLP collaboration album recorded way back in 1966 entitled "Violin Summit". Not quite, but still not bad!

This 11-track compilation features material recorded in the late 60s by JLP, Stephane Grappelli and Stuff Smith. The first 5 tracks demonstrate the interaction between the various violinists, while the next 6 tracks must be from an alternate source as they seem to only feature 1 of them at any given time. All but 2 tracks ("Blues In The Dungeon" and "Sposin'") are instrumentals.

It's still a great showcase of the violin as a jazz instrument, and is more in the traditional genre. Containing an early version of "Bowing-Bowing", it starts the CD with an impressive demonstration.

Jazz Violin Summit, Stephane Grappelli, Stuff Smith, Jean-Luc Ponty are the giants of jazz violin. It is hard to belive that you can do what they do on a violin. Bach would have enjoyed this CD.