IMAGINARY VOYAGE

Although jazz rock fusions are often little more than virtuosity exercises diguised as songs, this is not the case. Jean Luc Ponty scapes from most jazz rock trappings with some very good compositions that actually moves the common listener even if he is not himself a musician to understand the band members techniques in general and the violinists in particular.

The album´s opener, New Country, is a good exemple: country jig music that seldom appears on such kind of record, showing off Daryl Stuermer´s fantastic skills on the acoustic guitar. From then on Imaginary Voyage is more or less what you expect from a jazz rock record. Except that the songwriting is superb. The melody rarely is surpassed by those long noodlings jazz rock musicians seem so prone of.

The band is a show apart: all of them fantastic musicians that later played on such different acts like Jethro Tull, Genesis, Frank Zappa, etc. They are really a band, not just a bunch of good musicians. And Jean Luc Ponty was wise enough to give them space to shine. They enriched the album a lot.

A fine CD, that even non jazz rock fans will enjoy. Recommended.