Jean-Luc Ponty

Jean-Luc Ponty‘s ageless elfin face makes it seem impossible that he’s been performing since 1964. Very early fans might remember the “next Stephane Grapelli” buzz from his first album; mere early fans probably soaked up his work with Frank Zappa in the late ’60s, when he had the spotlight for Zappa compositions such as “Music for Electric Violin and Low Budget Orchestra.” Middle-generation fans picked up his records because his jazz/rock works were sitting next to Herbie Hancock’s Rockit and the latest from Weather Report. His most recent converts might have taken note of his ’90s projects with West African musicians and violinists as diverse as Russian classical star Vadim Repin and American jazz violinist Regina Carter. Ponty’s work, with his smooth, luxurious grooves at the center, is more organic and texture-driven than ever. His KC show, one of only a handful of U.S. dates, should work for any fan, no matter when he or she hopped on the Ponty bus.