Blues, Jazz, Rock Violinists?

Ric Sanders of Fairport Convention and the Ric Sanders Group, really a jazz violinist at heart but has a style that defies all categorization. Really the finest
violinist/composer of anyone on this list.

"Even though I am primarily a jazz fan Jean Luc cannot be categorized as a jazz violinist"

Which is my point exactly. I am sure he is great, just not a Jazz great.

Rok2id, who said Jean Luc Ponty was a jazz great?

"Rok2id, who said Jean Luc Ponty was a jazz great?"

No one did. I just stated that he was not a Jazz great. Given the direction and subject of the thread, confusion on this point would have been understandable.
Peace.

Minor house cleaning detour:
Validity or cultural impact is not determined by what got printed in Downbeat. That said I was surprised to find that during the early and mid 70's the rag was regularly putting Zappa on a pedestal, (Bongo Fury was an exception)... turns out they were right about his stature as a composer and i was too dumb to know it.
Mingus Died in 79'... and a poorly informed highly opinionated A'goner trekkie loses a bet, whoo-hoo.
Words like Jazz, Free Jazz, Avant Garde and Fusion don't really have much descriptive value and often get used by the weak minded to reinforce preconceptions and prejudices. No way am i gonna' play, this is jazz... this isn't jazz, but it's obvious that some of us haven't really listened to Ponty's Sunday Walk (1967) or some of his other early releases.