A switch back to Atlantic finds
Jean-Luc Ponty continuing to dabble in West African waters while re-establishing his earlier solid base in repeating sequenced patterns. The electronics are back, for
Ponty splits his time between the electric violin and various synthesizers and sequencers while
Abdou M'Boup and
Sydney Thiam add African percussion, which often takes a back seat to the electronics as the rhythmic basis for the music. This time, though, the material
Ponty has composed isn't as compelling as it had been in the past; at times,
Ponty sounds like he is very competently treading water (though "Blue Mambo" has a compelling groove). Yet despite all of the changes
Ponty has put himself through, his music still has a Continental elegance that cannot be mistaken for that of anyone else. ~ Richard S. Ginell