MIROSLAV

Having had fun experimenting with many new electronic enhancements (including keyboards and synthesizers) on his previous solo album, 1976's Majesty Music, we see here Miroslav taking a more serious and more independent approach--using only a single percussionist as his collaborator for each song while relying on his own talents for all the rest of the sound generation.

1. "Watching The Sunset Run" (8:02) a song that plays out more like a Weather Report song than any we've heard from the former WR member (and founder) as Miroslav plays his multiple tracks of basses with some periodic electric piano, ARP synth strings, and MiniMoog contributions with the cymbal-heavy multi-track contributions of long-time collaborator (and fellow Weather Report founding member) Don Alias. A cool song that also comes across as an OREGON/CoDoNa-like song. The melody production is okay, but the constant tension and urgency generated by the rhythm track is quite compelling. (13.75/15)

2. "Bassamba" (2:58) solo bass opens up with some flourishes and riffs before starting up a two-and sometimes three- chord Samba motif which Don quickly fall in line to support. Miroslav's bowed bass occupies the lead position while his electric piano and ARP synth strings add spice in the middle to give it a little Chick Corea flavor. Well done, Mr. Vitous! (9.125/10)

3. "Tiger In The Rain" (8:54) electric piano opens this one, playing a lot like Joe Zawinul (the man had just finished spending six years under the tutelage of his elder and fellow Eastern European)--for a long time before small contributions from Miroslav's other keys and basses as well as Don Alias' bongos and (later) timbales join in. I'm not sure what tiger Miroslav had observed to inspire this song--or if the title was just applied randomly from a saved list of previously generated song titles--but I don't see the connection--unless one were trying to account for the youthful play of a young cub experiencing the fascinating effects of the rain for its first few times. Not as interesting, developed, or dynamic as one might have hoped--and very little bass play! (17.25/20)

4. "Concerto In E Minor" (5:30) ARP strings and congas open this free-flowing, Indian-like song with electric piano and bowed electrified double bass that sounds remarkably similar to the low-end tones of SHAKTI's Shankar with his patented double-neck 10-string violin. There is a bit of a tempo and motif change in the fourth minute as Don and the electric piano start up a new pattern while Miroslav continues soloing with his bowed bass, but then the ARP strings kind of move to the front as Don and Miroslav step back a bit to make room for Miroslav's pizzicato double bass for the song's final minute. Odd and not feeling as "classical" as the title would seem to suggest. (8.75/10)

5. "Pictures From Moravia" (4:49) electric piano and bowed electrified double bass present and each play with the main melody while pizzicato bass and ARP strings add their periodic notes and flourishes. Things get a little heated in the second half of the second minute--especially with the bowed bass--but then shift in the third minute as the MiniMoog and electric piano sneak in for a little more shine. The ARP strings chords tend to spoil it for me; I think the song would have been much better with them left out. (They tend to "date" the music, as well.) (8.875/10)

6. "Sonata For A Dream" (5:39) opening with Armen's sparse, mostly-metallic percussion play, Miroslav focuses on (bombastic) piano as his main conveyor with ARP strings and MiniMoog providing a lot of the lead flourishes and melody. I do like the fact that this song presents a slowly building and more dynamic sonosphere than much of the album's other songs--even evoking some of the feelings that I feel are signatory to the experience of listening to a classical music sonata. (8.875/10)

Total time: 35:52

Despite years of collaborating with others (especially Joe Zawinul but also Herbie Mann and Wayne Shorter), I've always had this sense that Miroslav was a rather fiercely-independent artist, and I think that this album serves as proof of that. With his previous year's album he was still relying on collaborators while exploring new technologies but he was also taking on much more of the musical textures for himself: learning and attempting to take over the keyboards, electronics, and even engineering duties on Majesty Music, but now, with Miroslav we have the butterfly finally, if shyly, emerging from his cocoon to begin to create music that is most all of it his. A very challenging prospect, I've always thought that this "one-man band" approach (and attitude) can have a limiting, even detrimental, effect on the outcome--on the musical product. I've become convinced that collaboration, review, and feedback (even if it's critical), is important to a product that the public can and will connect with. Though Blue Note producer Michael Cuscuna is credited, I have a feeling that this was more Miroslav's solo project.

B/four stars; an interesting and often intriguing album that presents one artist's vision most purely--with only one collaborator--a percussionist--to be held accountable to.

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