King Kong: Jean Luc Ponty Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa

King Kong: Jean Luc Ponty Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa

ASIN: B000005HE8

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa was an active collaboration; Frank Zappa arranged all of the selections, played guitar on one, and contributed a new, nearly 20-minute orchestral composition for the occasion. Made in the wake of Ponty's appearance on Zappa's jazz-rock masterpiece Hot Rats, these 1969 recordings were significant developments in both musicians' careers. In terms of jazz-rock fusion, Zappa was one of the few musicians from the rock side of the equation who captured the complexity - not just the feel - of jazz, and this project was an indicator of his growing credibility as a composer. For Ponty's part, King Kong marked the first time he had recorded as a leader in a fusion-oriented milieu. The Mothers of Invention had previously recorded three of the six pieces and "Twenty Small Cigars" soon would be. Ponty writes a Zappa-esque theme on his lone original "How Would You Like to Have a Head Like That," where Zappa contributes a nasty guitar solo. The centerpiece, though, is obviously "Music for Electric Violin and Low Budget Orchestra," a new multi-sectioned composition that draws as much from modern classical music as jazz or rock. It's a showcase for Zappa's love of blurring genres and Ponty's versatility in handling everything from lovely, simple melodies to creepy dissonance. In the end, Zappa's personality comes through a little more clearly (his compositional style pretty much ensures it), but King Kong firmly established Ponty as a risk-taker and a strikingly original new voice for jazz violin.

Tracks:

King Kong
Idiot Bastard Son
Twenty Small Cigars
How Would You Like To Have A Head Like That
Music For Electric Violin And Low Budget Orchestra
America Drinks And Goes Home

Album Description

King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa was an active collaboration; Frank Zappa arranged all of the selections, played guitar on one, and contributed a new, nearly 20-minute orchestral composition for the occasion. Made in the wake of Ponty's appearance on Zappa's jazz-rock masterpiece Hot Rats, these 1969 recordings were significant developments in both musicians' careers. In terms of jazz-rock fusion, Zappa was one of the few musicians from the rock side of the equation who captured the complexity - not just the feel - of jazz, and this project was an indicator of his growing credibility as a composer. For Ponty's part, King Kong marked the first time he had recorded as a leader in a fusion-oriented milieu. The Mothers of Invention had previously recorded three of the six pieces and "Twenty Small Cigars" soon would be. Ponty writes a Zappa-esque theme on his lone original "How Would You Like to Have a Head Like That," where Zappa contributes a nasty guitar solo. The centerpiece, though, is obviously "Music for Electric Violin and Low Budget Orchestra," a new multi-sectioned composition that draws as much from modern classical music as jazz or rock. It's a showcase for Zappa's love of blurring genres and Ponty's versatility in handling everything from lovely, simple melodies to creepy dissonance. In the end, Zappa's personality comes through a little more clearly (his compositional style pretty much ensures it), but King Kong firmly established Ponty as a risk-taker and a strikingly original new voice for jazz violin.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent music, very underrated album..........2007-06-19

This is by far one of the most original albums I have ever heard. 6 of Frank Zappa's best pieces, all played by world class jazz musicians: George Duke, Ernie Watts, John Guerin..., all conducted, composed, and arranged by Frank Zappa himself, sounds pretty impressive, right? I only have a few critiques...

The only improv time is given to Ponty, which is quite a dissapointment, given that there are so many good musicians on this album. Also, the sound quality is good, but not great. I'm not an expert in audio, but the album sounds a little too thin. These annoyances are small though, and don't take too much away from the album.

Sorting through Zappa's catalouge is painful and stress inducing, so I will try too tell you what kind of album this is. Thus begins the difficult task of classifying a zappa album (sigh)--

This album is kind of a jazz album. I say this because a couple songs have a jazz feel, all are played by jazz musicians and it has lengthy complex improvisations. And like about 30 percent of Zappa's catalouge, it doesn't come very close to being a rock album. And just to spice things up, Zappa added a few modern classical orchestrations.

--Thus, I will classify it as an Orchestral Jazz album.

This is a must have for any experimental jazz fan. And if you're a jazz fan trying to get into Zappa this would certainly be the best album for you. It is too often overlooked as yet another schizophrenic, rambling Zappa album. This, and Zappa's other fusion albums (Hot Rats, The Grand Wazoo), need to be much more well known because their musical significance and their contributions to jazz.

Fantastic.......2007-03-10

The music of Frank Zappa is the best specially played with on of the best violin player.

Imagine If Frank Zappa Had Become An Adult.......2006-05-24

Most sincere thanks to the great French violinist, Jean-Luc Ponty, for bringing this CD to fruition. King Kong, Jean-Luc Ponty Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa, is nothing less than the great, lost Frank Zappa monsterpiece, the one that shows what he might have become. Zappa was, to say the least, complicated. Few artists have been quite so blatantly supercilious and condescending, openly disdaining listeners and inviting their contempt. Creating music was never enough for him, he had to populate his work with sophomoric jokes intended to offend, amazingly misogynistic barbs, toilet humor a third grader would consider puerile, and a generalized hostility towards anything remotely authoritarian. Sometimes it really was funny, other times it was merely annoying. Most often, it stood in the way of the music. This is the burning ship of Zappa's career, and sadly, he will be remembered more for Yellow Snow than his real contribution to modern music.

Zappa was a magpie, snatching shiny things from every different school of music, mixing them together into his unique melange. As a composer, he was right on the threshold of modern classical music, then also a hard rocker with a sweet tooth for do-wop, then right on the edge of jazz, then fusion - he covered the waterfront in a way that made garden variety three-chord head bangers look like Neanderthals. But his reprehensible arrogance and egotism, combined with his devotion to musical theatre for teenage boys overcoming pimples, always got in the way of perfection. Until this CD.

This absolute jewel, perfect from start to finish, came on the heels of Hot Ratz, which had only one vocal track - sadly, the work of Captain Beefheart, about whom, the less said the ... Though fabulous, Ratz did not show off Zappa's orchestral gifts, certainly his greatest strength. Jean-Luc Ponty played violin on one Ratz track, It Must Be A Camel, this CD was produced immediately afterwards.

The compete absence of demented vocals and intrusive surrealist humor makes it possible for listeners to concentrate on the richly textured, highly complex, and thoroughly pleasing music. All compositions are by Zappa, except How Would You Like To Have A Head Like That, which is by Ponty. The entire CD was arranged by Zappa, and the major work, Music For Electric Violin And Low Budget Orchestra, was conducted by Ian Underwood. Large cast of characters including many Zappa stalwarts like George Duke, who shines, and Arthur Tripp III. My favorite is America Drinks And Goes Home, but the entire CD is faultless. P.S. - Jean-Luc Ponty simply burns the house down. A must have.

a must for Zappa fans.......2005-10-04

A great group of musicians. Dedicated to Zappa's compositions. Ernie Watts solo on How Would You Like To Have A Head Like This, inspired me to play the sax. Quality musicianship throughout, this will not disappoint.

if you're a fan.......2004-10-09

of this music, Zappa plays guitar on two tracks, does the arrangements on others, and overall this is a good CD to get if you like Zappa's muzik. You can also get the Ed Palermo Big Band cd of Zappa music, the Persuasion's acapella album (also featuring Bruce Fowler on trombone), the Fraternity of Man (original Oh No) and the various spinoff bands of ex-Zappa musicians.

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