AndersonPonty Band: Better Late Than Never

A marriage made in prog-jazz heaven.

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The proceeds of a $95,000 Kickstarter campaign rented Aspen’s 500-capacity Wheeler Opera House for a week’s rehearsals before recording (and filming for the deluxe version’s DVD) this album live – then stripping out the audience noise to give a uniquely vibrant sound.

The band are all Jean Luc Ponty alumni and the jazz-rock violinist is fabulous throughout, but Jon Anderson dominates, even as the two legends’ CVs are feathered into new songs.

The 14-song set reworks five Yes tunes: Owner Of A Lonely Heart, a horribly reggae-fied Time And A Word, Wonderous Stories, And You And I (curtailed at three minutes) and Roundabout. Ponty comes to the fore on Infinite Mirage/Soul Eternal and Renaissance Of The Sun but Anderson’s I See You Messenger trumps all in this for-fans-only liaison.

Neil Jeffries
Neil Jeffries

Freelance contributor to Classic Rock and several of its offshoots since 2006. In the 1980s he began a 15-year spell working for Kerrang! intially as a cub reviewer and later as Geoff Barton’s deputy and then pouring precious metal into test tubes as editor of its Special Projects division. Has spent quality time with Robert Plant, Keith Richards, Ritchie Blackmore, Rory Gallagher and Gary Moore – and also spent time in a maximum security prison alongside Love/Hate. Loves Rush, Aerosmith and beer. Will work for food.