Better Late than Never: The Anderson Ponty Band: Review

By Lezlie Kinyon, Ph.D., Editor, Coreopsis Journal, Prog Fan

www.jonanderson.com

www.ponty.com

I love this CD. I listen to it all the time. Most especially in the car while driving some distance. The miles just melt away into music as grand as prog ever was and as complex and lyrical as jazz can be. Jon-Luc Ponty’s jazz violin is the perfect accompaniment to Jon Anderson’s vocals, and together with Jaime Glaser on guitar, Rayford Griffin in drums and percussion, Baron Brown on bass, and Wally Minko on keyboards, the results are a perfect blend of progressive rock and jazz, altogether pure magic. As a long time fan of both Jon Anderson and Jon-Luc Ponty I was delighted to hear of this collaboration. When tickets became available for the San Francisco show date, I was probably one of the first in line to get mine. I bought another for a really good friend and we made our plans. When the date arrived, I found myself barely containing my excitement: the 17-year-old in me was out and playing. I was not disappointed: the audience cheered, sang along, listened with breath held, and danced each in turn. The musicians on the stage were – very obviously – having as great a time playing the music. When guitarist Jamie Glaser stepped to the fore with the opening chords of the rocking Yours is No Disgrace, it seemed the enthusiasm of all could not be contained.

While the venue (the venerable, refurbished, Regency Ballroom) had sold us seats on the upper balcony, where, while the line of sight was mostly good (the keyboard player was hidden), they had neglected to take the extremely powerful PA into account when pricing and selling seats. We quickly relocated to another location where we could hear the music in its proper mix and, also, emerge from the theatre after the show with our hearing intact. Seats in this section of the theatre should not be sold. Or, if sold, reserved for “standing room only”; shows where there is no other choice – at a minimal cost – and the purchasers warned about the hazard to their health! Certainly not at a premium to concert goers looking for a good line of sight. Definitely not to progressive rock fans for whom the proper mix means a very great deal – and- who usually know exactly what they are listening for.

Once we relocated and could enjoy the show, we had a wonderful experience. Anderson was in full voice, the arrangements unique and taking all the band members’ impressive skills and musicality into account. In many ways, this writer was enchanted in the same ways that she was attending a Yes show in the early days of the band. Highlights were a haunting, percussion-heavy reimagining of “Long Distance Runaround”, a heartfelt tribute to Yes’ bassist Chris Squire, who passed earlier in 2015, and Ponty’s evocative and thrilling “Infinite Ocean”. It was good to see Anderson in the place where he is best, and obviously loves to be: the frontman of a great band. On a less enthusiastic “note”, I did not like the arrangement of Anderson’s signature work, “Soon”. It is my opinion that the strong melody, the lyrical verse, and the message of this song works best with as little “coloring” and embellishment as possible. The original 1974 recording (Relayer) with Steve Howe on pedal steel guitar remains a favorite, but, one would wish that Anderson would release a performance, as he has sung it live, with minimal accompaniment. “Soon” is a song of peace, a simple, evocative and memorable melody that stands alone.

The CD and accompanying concert DVD are equally enchanting. The CD contains 13 tracks, the mix of re-envisioned old and new material written collaboratively for this CD is well balanced, making for a good listening experience. The DVD contains live concert footage and has 10 tracks, including several “old favorites” from Anderson’s Yes years with a rousing rendition of Roundabout. My personal favorites from this collection are Wonderous Stories and A for Aria.

From the grand and inviting Intro where the keyboards are ethereal: evoking the string section of a symphony on to One in the Rhythm of Hope which is reminiscent in many ways of the “classic” era of Yes, especially the 1977 release Going for the One (Atlantic) particularly in the use of an insistent rhythm throughout.

“A for Aria” is lyrical and evocative, showcasing Ponty’s virtuosity in his use of complex time signatures in a simple melodic form. Anderson’s lyric and style evoke both his ventures into “plain song” and recitatIve as we first heard on Tales From Topographic Oceans, and, most recently in collaboration with Rick Wakeman on their 2010 collaboration The Living Tree. While this track is a favorite musically, it is not a favorite lyrically, neither in context of this collaboration nor within the corpus of Anderson’s catalogue.

Owner of a Lonely Heart regains, even with the addition of Ponty’s lively accompaniment, much of the style of the original 1983 release 90125. (For comparison: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Owner_of_a_lonely_heart-YES.ogg) Of all of Anderson’s work with Yes, the Grammy winning “Owner of a Loney Heart” is the song that we dance to. It’s hard not to at least tap one’s toes with this extended celebration of love and the power of love to heal. Ponty continues this intermix of playing with time signatures well into “Listening With Me”, and in counterpoint to “Time and a Word”: a song written by Anderson in 1970, released Yes’ 2nd studio vinyl LP, Time and a Word. Deceptively simple in its presentation, “Time and a Word” has since become a favorite of “classic rock stations” and wedding mixes. Anderson employs a reggae beat and sings an homage to Jamaica, Bob Marley and John Lennon all in one enthusiastic mix. One of the few songs by Anderson that just about anyone can sing and I could not help but sing along with it first listen through.

“Infinite Mirage” and “Soul Eternal” together create a soundscape of eternities and possibilities, each note seeming to resonate between worlds inviting the listener along for the ride. Ponty’s “Renaissance of the Sun” is not so much a composition but a paean to the joys of life lived well. A true collaboration of Ponty and Anderson, this track is jazzy and lyrical. “Roundabout” is fun, rollicking and evokes the 1971 release (Fragile) while also updated and infused with the aesthetic of 2016. In short: it rocks. Unlike Yes shows, and many of Anderson’s solo concerts, this recording does not end with Roundabout, but continues with two releases by Anderson not recorded elsewhere, “I See You Messenger” and “New New World”. Here Anderson is at his most lyrical and percussive, continuing a musical exploration that may have begun on Olias of Sunhillow (1976). My personal favorite tracks are “Wonderous Stories” and the iconic Anderson/Howe composition, “And, You and I”, both from the Yes catalogue, and are presented here in unique arrangements and presentation, showing how versatile and original all of the artists on this recording can be.

Each of these musicians have gone on to other projects and there are no announced plans for a second CD or tour. Better Late than Never remains a singular jewel in the crown of the careers of Ponty, Anderson, and the members of the band, all of whom have more-than-respectable careers in their own rights.

Anderson/Ponty Band

Better Late Than Never

Released September 2015

Liaison Music

ASIN: B0133G1FM

Number of Discs: 2

To purchase: Anderson Ponty Band – Better Late Than Never (CD with DVD)