INFINITE SEARCH [AKA: MOUNTAIN IN THE CLOUDS, AKA: THE BASS]

Miroslav Vitous is probably most known for being part of WEATHER REPORT when they first started out, but he has a long resume. This is his first solo album released before WEATHER REPORT's debut which came out the following year. Miroslav is such a talented bass player but he also plays violin and keyboards, and when he was younger he was a world class free- style swimmer. In fact after winning a scholarship to Berklee College of Music he had to decide between swimming and music. Thankfully he chose the latter. The lineup on this album is such that you should be sitting down when you read off the names. John McLaughlin on guitar, Jack DeJohnette on drums, Joe Henderson on sax and Herbie Hancock on electric piano. Told you so. My first impression of this album was that it wasn't very dynamic. It's more Free-Jazz perhaps, certainly not in the MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA style. And Vitous is very dominant here along with DeJohnette as the guitar, piano and sax come and go.

"Freedom Jazz Dance" opens with seemingly everyone being part of the sound. Very intricate stuff. Piano comes to the fore 3 minutes in. Bass is just throbbing away then the guitar takes the spotlight after 4 1/2 minutes. McLaughlin is ripping it up. Henderson's turn after 6 1/2 minutes. This is the most dynamic track. "Mountain In The Clouds" is a short tune with cymbals and bass leading early. Check out the bass and drums !

"When Face Gets Pale" opens with cymbals, bass, piano and intricate guitar. The bass is incredible here. Deep bass lines late. "Infinite Search" is led by bass, piano and drums. "I Will Tell Him On You" features sax, piano, bass and drums standing out early. Sax leads before 3 minutes. It gets pretty intense a minute later. Guitar takes the lead then piano 7 minutes in. Drums pound away after 8 1/2 minutes. "Epilogue" is the only track that DeJohnette isn't on, instead we get Joe Chambers. This one's fairly laid back as bass leads the way. Piano becomes more prominant 4 1/2 minutes in.

For me this is one of those albums you really have to pay attention to. It's not background music, you have to give attention to the detail.

Recorded October 8, 1969 with Miroslav's at-that-time bandleader Herbie Mann producing. This January publication was one of the first releases of Herbie Mann's new label, Embryo Records. It is also remarkable for bringing on board four of jazz-rock fusion's hottest fairly-young phenoms in John McLaughlin, Jack DeJohnette, Herbie Hancock, and Joe Henderson.

A1 "Freedom Jazz Dance" (10:54) a basic show of fiery bass and drum skills with a notable display of unhinged guitar pyrotechnics in the sixth and seventh minutes. Despite the electrified contributions of Herbie Hancock and John McLaughlin, this music is still well inside the realms of what I'd call jazz. (17.5/20)

A2 "Mountain in the Clouds" (1:51) more display of Miroslav's youthful exuberance (he was only 22 when this album was recorded) with matching support from Jack DeJohnette. (4.375/5)

A3 "When Face Gets Pale" (7:38) a much more melodic and soothing dynamic from more processed (electric) sound palette, both Herbie and John softly and beautifully dance around on the wings while Miroslav sprints his seven and a half minute marathon. The drums remains more in the background while Joe Henderson doesn't even make an appearance. A much more pleasant listen than the previous two songs but I am still pretty surprised at the speed with which Miroslav thinks he needs to move in order to express himself. A top three song for me. (13.5/15)

B1 "Infinite Search" (6:49) slowing things down even further--even Miroslav himself!--Jack even relegating himself to brushes--it is Herbie's excellent, dreamy chord play that I most love about this song--though I do enjoy Miroslav's bass play when it's at this tempo: he's quite melodic in his play. Fascinating how John McLaughlin--the John McLaughlin--can discipline himself to sit in the background playing two notes over and over! But, I guess that's what the song calls for. Once again there is a notable absence of any saxophone. A top three song, for sure. (13.75/15)

B2 "I Will Tell Him on You" (11:00) sax and bass present the main melody near the start while everyone else tries to support, but then Miroslav takes off: racing toward some finish line that nobody else can see. Jack DeJohnette does the best at feeding off of the bassist's unbound energy but Herbie is also well-matched in his support. Joe Henderson and John McLaughlin don't get to spend enough time on the front lines, but are also up to the task when asked to join in--in that frenetic fifth minute, for example (Go! Jack!) And then, for John, the sixth and seventh (in which Miroslav is amazingly restrained despite still speeding along on autodrive). Herbie's solo in the eighth minute sounds so much like mice scurrying over the floor on their nighttime escapades, then being interrupted by the pouncing cat. Even Jack gets some spotlight in the ninth and tenth minutes. This song must have been the reward everyone received for showing up for these recording sessions. When everyone comes back together at the end of the tenth minute it is to recapitulate the melody themes of the opening minute. Good though still quite "traditional jazz" in both form and style. (17.5/20)

B3 "Epilogue" (6:57) a gentle, atmospheric closer. With jazz and jazz-rock fusion I am not always such a sucker for the slow and spacious songs or passages, but there is something quite arresting to Miroslav's melodies and the band harmonic constructs that I can really pick up on during these slower passages--something that penetrates deeper when there is space and time with which to process and let them reverberate and resonate. My other top three song. (14/15)

Total Time:

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of pre-adolescent Jazz-Rock Fusion.