A Taste for Passion

A Taste for Passion is an album by French jazz fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty that was released in 1979. It was reissued by Atlantic on CD in 1990 and 1992. The track "Beach Girl" received a nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1981 Grammy Awards.

Critical reception
The Globe and Mail wrote that Ponty's "music is well conceived and realized, structurally sound and texturally colorful (Genesis-ish in spots), drawing equally on rock and classical as a backdrop for jazz improvisation."

Track listing
All songs by Jean-Luc Ponty.
 * 1) "Stay with Me" – 5:35
 * 2) "Sunset Drive" – 5:45
 * 3) "Dreamy Eyes" – 4:18
 * 4) "Beach Girl" – 4:56
 * 5) "A Taste for Passion" – 5:22
 * 6) "Life Cycles" – 5:45
 * 7) "Reminiscence" – 1:26
 * 8) "Give Us a Chance" – 3:02
 * 9) "Obsession" – 0:40
 * 10) "Farewell" – 3:06

Personnel

 * Jean-Luc Ponty – acoustic violin, 5-string electric violin; organ & electric piano (tracks 3, 5) ; grand piano (track 7)
 * Joaquin Lievano – acoustic & electric guitar, guitar synth; guitar solos (tracks 3–5)
 * Jamie Glaser – electric guitar; guitar solos (tracks 2, 6)
 * Allan Zavod – keyboards, synthesizer; synthesizer solos (tracks 6, 8)
 * Ralphe Armstrong – fretless electric bass; bass solo (track 2)
 * Casey Scheuerell – drums, percussion


 * Production
 * Engineer: Ed E. Thacker
 * Assistant engineers: Lenise Bent, Cheech d'Amico
 * Mastered by Greg Calbi
 * Gary Heery – photography
 * Tim Messer – production coordination

Recorded at Village Recorders, West Los Angeles, California. Mixed at Cherokee Studios, Hollywood, California - June & July 1979. Mastered at Sterling Sound, New York City.