King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa
King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa (or simply King Kong) is an album by French jazz fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty first released in 1970 on Liberty Records' World Pacific Records subsidiary label. The album contains numerous selections Zappa had previously recorded either with the Mothers of Invention or under his own name, including:
George Duke, who would eventually join Zappa and Ponty in the Mothers, is featured on piano on all tracks. Ernie Watts is featured on alto and tenor saxophone on all tracks except for "Music for Violin and Low Budget Orchestra". Zappa himself plays guitar on one selection, and Mothers members Ian Underwood (tenor sax) and Art Tripp (drums) contribute to the album as well.
Track listing
All songs by Frank Zappa unless otherwise noted.
Side One
- "King Kong" – 4:54
- "Idiot Bastard Son" – 4:00
- "Twenty Small Cigars" – 5:35
- "How Would You Like to Have a Head Like That" (Jean-Luc Ponty) – 7:14
Side Two
- "Music for Electric Violin and Low-Budget Orchestra" – 19:20
- "America Drinks and Goes Home" – 2:39
Personnel
- Jean-Luc Ponty – electric violin, baritone violectra
- Frank Zappa – guitar
- George Duke – piano, electric piano
- Ernie Watts – alto and tenor sax
- Ian Underwood – tenor sax
- Buell Neidlinger – bass
- Wilton Felder – Fender bass
- Gene Estes – vibraphone, percussion
- John Guerin – drums
- Art Tripp – drums
- Donald Christlieb – bassoon
- Gene Cipriano – oboe, English horn
- Vincent DeRosa – French horn, descant
- Arthur Maebe – French horn, tuben
- Jonathan Meyer – flute
- Harold Bemko – cello
- Milton Thomas – viola
Production notes
- Richard Bock – producer
- Frank Zappa – arranger, composer, conductor
- Gerald Wilson – conductor
- Ian Underwood – conductor
- Leonard Feather – liner notes
References