LDB Special Series #284

Out of my 7,000+ shows and radio broadcasts, I have many concerts that were special for some reasons: the setlist, the
musicians, the venue or unexpected events. These are the ones I'd like to propose you. Most of these come from my
cassettes collection, so they will be released at a slower pace than my Master Series! But you won't be disappointed!
I will try to gather the most unusual things I have in my collection and, as always, your feedback and comments will be my
reward for all the work involved in this project.

DO NOT share this music on mp3, just convert it for your own use. Sharing mp3's is the right way to make me stop sharing
music here.

Finally, some notes about your truly ldb: I have been a fan of live music since I was 9 years old (that is where
I attended my very first show, a PFM/De André gig at Milano's Palalido) and my first taped show was at 11 using
a crappy portable cassette player with embedded microphone. I become more serious about taping in 1983 when I
started to record every show. In 1991 I acquired my first Sony Professional and in 2000 I moved to MiniDisc to
finally settle on R-09 in early 2008.

I have seen nearly 500 shows in my career. Most of them were taped but for others bad luck struck and I could not
record it: on top of my mind there's a Paul McCartney show in 1993 in Milano where I was caught by the security or
Porcupine Tree in Roma in March 1999 when the DAT machine would seem to work but listening back to the tape there
would just be a long bunch of silence. Or during a Y.Malmsteen show where I got so annoyed that I left halfway
through the show and erased the tape and finally on a PFM show in Milano in 2007 where I had to leave before the
encore because the baby-sitter had to leave early that evening. Some other times I was very close not to tape or
had to do it in extremely difficult situations: for the four Peter Gabriel shows at Earls Court in 1987 security
was checking tapers with metal detector; at the David Gilmour comeback show in London in 2001 at RFH I had the
security guy sitting next to me but I managed to tape the show without checking one single time my MiniDisc!

There was a time I was travelling anywhere in Europe to see shows, especially if there was no touring in Italy: I
remember Rush in Paris in 1992 when the trio did not even know what Italy was. I have seen shows at stadiums
(Genesis at Wembley) and in places with 30 people (Porcupine Tree in Milano in 1997); bands that would later
become huge (Pearl Jam in a free show for 150 people) and masters of jazz (Miles Davis or Sarah Vaughan). Shows
I will never forget (Pink Floyd at Versailles castle) and some I would rather forget (no comment...).

I truly believe that live music is what keeps music alive, what make us enjoying it together, what allow us to
have deep feelings and transmit it to others. Studio records are nowadays 'commodities': you can buy online as
anonymous wav files and listen in your iPod or at home. Live music will always imply an effort to buy the tix,
travel to the venue, see the show, think about it when coming back home.

JEAN-LUC PONTY
New York, Bottom Line
November 21, 1976

FM broadcast

01.Wandering On The Milky Way
02.Aurora (part 1 & 2)
03.Band Intro / Gardens Of Babylon
04.Imaginary Voyage (parts 1-4)

TT 46:22

Lineage: FM broadcast > CD > EAC > SoundForge 7.0 > FLAC Frontend (level 6)

Jean-Luc Ponty - violin
Steve Smith - drums
Allan Zavod - keyboards, piano
Daryl Stuermer - guitars
Tom Fowler - bass

This one is a true gem, coming from my favourite JL Ponty tour: 1976/1977. Imaginary Voyage ranks amongs my Top 10
jazz-rock albums. And I am so excited JL has joined Return To Forever: they will play Paris in July and I can't wait!
This one is from one of many Bottom Line live broadcasts and sounds very nice to my ears. Short but sweet. And
hearing daryl on acoustic guitar during Gardens Of Babylon is such a great listen!

Highly recommended!

ldb