February 22, 1980

Innovative jazz violinist Noel Pointer and his bright blue electric violin “gave a rousing performance” before an audience of 400 in the Chapel. Pointer’s music, said Matt Fenton ’83 in The Miscellany News, “is a new and interesting form of jazz that contrasts with traditional jazz because of his use of all electronic instruments. The most inventive instrument used, and thus the one that defines the musical breakthroughs of his music, is the electric violin, which was bright blue. Pointer described his music, best, ‘You see me freaking off sometimes at the violin.’”

Record World magazine named Pointer the #1 New Male Jazz Act for his first album, Phantazia (1977) on Blue Note, and Hold On, Feel It and Calling appeared from the same label in 1978, 1979 and 1980.