Album of the Day

A titan of jazz violin, French-born Jean-Luc Ponty branched into fusion at the end of the 1960s, collaborating with rockers including Frank Zappa and Elton John before signing with Atlantic Records for solo releases. His eighth album for the label, MYSTICAL ADVENTURES, delivers on the promise of its cover art – it’s a flight of musical fantasy. The impressionistic side-long title suite is followed by shorter tracks including a Stevie Wonder cover (“As”) co-produced by the great Arif Mardin - one of three songs enlivened by Brazilian percussionist Paulinho Da Costa. Along with his virtuoso violin work, Ponty plays keyboards on the 1982 collection, presaging a deeper dive into synthesizers on future albums. A Billboard Jazz chart-topper, MYSTICAL ADVENTURES is sure to reward adventurous listeners.