Jean-Luc Ponty - Imaginary Voyage (1976)

Everone can use a little electric (or electronic) violin in their life, and Jean-Luc Ponty is perhaps the best way to experience it. Brief stints with Mahavishnu Orchestra and Frank Zappa led to Ponty's own brand of jazz fusion, which gave equal time to synthesizers in the '80s. His Atlantic output is of a piece, ebullient music that features the violin atop percolating patterns. In the '90s, world music caught his attention and signalled a change in direction. I can't tell you why some consider Ponty progressive and not Chick Corea, although packaging might have something to do with it.