“Jazz Long Playing” (a play on words based on Jean Luc Ponty’s initials was Jean Lucs first recording as a leader. It was probably the first real bebop violin albums and it was his way of showing world “hey look, the violin can do this too”. Jean Luc was at a prestigious classical conservatorie in Paris when he was young. Back then the world wasn’t so open and his classical teacher forbid him from playing jazz. He still did it but had to keep it secret or he would lose his place at the conservatoire. Check out a great track from the album here.

A great and relatively unknown record in the jazz violin world is “Listen To The Ahmed Jamal Quinette”, featuring Joe Kennedy on violin. One of the very few examples of a violinist being hired as a sideman in a jazz setting anytime past the 1930s. Joe Kennedy to my ears is a very blues orientated player with a really nice swing feel that sits on top of the groove. What do you think of Joe’s playing?

I think this was the first video I ever saw of Stuff playing. I remember being super excited to hear some things I was always looking for in a jazz violinist. Groove, grit and jazz melody.

This is a nice solo to transcribe by Didier Lockwood. For the most part it’s not too tough but has some difficult fast double time sections. I think it was the first Didier solo I ever learned. https://youtu.be/DSucry3r6NU?si=PtzhJLgOSD58RUd-