MIROSLAV VITOUS

Recorded in New York City on August 25, 1970, under the supervision and production of Miroslav's current bandleader, Herbie Mann. Herbie had just started his own music production label, Embryo, and here acts as both producer and distribution agent for this, 23-year old Miroslav's second record as a bandleader. Of the four hot-shot 30-somethings that participated in Miroslav's debut solo album nine months before, only John McLaughlin returns (and he only for one song).

A1 "Purple" (9:40) Billy Cobham's drums are so attention-grabbing that one forgets to listen to Miroslav's bass--which is supposed to be the lead instrument. Even when Billy is only playing rims and light toms (while Joe and Miroslav duet and duel) he is still mesmerizing. (Perhaps it's the way he's mixed: so forward and mostly on the left.) Still, Joe and Miroslav are both mighty impressive throughout. (This might be one of the more impressive Joe Zawinul performances I've heard--though it took two tracks of the electric piano to do so. I like it!) Billy's just putting on a show. (How can the others not want to just stop and watch in awe and wonder?!) Miroslav returns to bowing his double bass in the eighth minute (preparing us for Stanley Clarke). Great stuff! And not just for the phenomenon that was the young Billy Cobham. (He was 26 at the time of this recording). (18.5/20)

A2 "Mood" (7:34) Billy's on brushes for the opening of this one as Miroslav and Joe establish a soft, plodding pace with their calm spacing of their notes and chords. Miroslav picks up the bow to issue the first plaintive tones of melody and then Joe gets a turn to respond--just like a relaxed conversation over a bottle of red on a late-night couch review of a couples' day. The like attunement between the three artists throughout this song is really something to behold. A veritable masterpiece of three artists being mentally and spiritually "synched." (15/15)

B1 "Water Lilie" (8:57) the song opens with some quiet, spacious yet-very pregnant interplay between the three musicians (Miroslav, Billy and John McLaughlin) with Billy merely holding a beat on his hi-hat while the John plays around with some amazing chord selections (some of which was heard on Tony Williams' first Lifetime record [in Vashkar"] and some of which will be heard in their different states of evolution on his first Mahavishnu Orchestra albums). Miroslav is triple-tracked with electric bass, bowed double bass, and electric piano all playing within the same areas of the song. How interesting to have John's guitar chord play vying for attention with all three of Miroslav's instruments. I wonder how this was recorded: Did John have the benefit of playing with any of Miroslav's tracks--live or recorded? Unfortunately, the song is more interesting for trying to follow/predict each of its five nearly-independent feeling tracks. Fortunately for me, the listener, Señor Cobham is never unleashed so I am able, therefore, to pay close attention to the work of McLaughlin and Vitous. (18/20)

B2 "Dolores" (4:10) recorded rather differently than the first three songs: with both drums and bass rather quieter or back further in the mix--the band is down to a duo now, but Billy Cobham and Miroslav have more than enough to offer on this Django Reinhardt-like jam. I love the way Billy's cymbal work matches all of the vim and verve that Miroslav puts into his bass and then the toms fill the spaces where Miroslav rests! Excellent entertainment. Too bad there wasn't anything as memorable as the album's opening song. (8.875/10)

B3 "It Came from Nowhere" (5:18) Another "quartet" with Billy Cobham delighting and impressing on his drum kit while Miroslav plays electric bass, bowed double bass, and a pretty impressive electric piano. Tbis one feels a little less finished, more haphazhard and uninspired (especially from Billy) than Side One's songs. (8.75/10)

Total Time: 35:39

This album may be where I find my favorite work from Joe Zawinul. The trio especially seem to have an incredible rapport and ease with one another as I've never heard Miroslav feel this much "a part" of an organic whole--though for three of the songs it took three tracks of his own expression to accomplish. Still, a very impressive album. I'm sure Herbie Mann felt no surprise (or misunderstanding) when Miroslav left him to fly off in another direction (to Weather Report) after their next album together.

A/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Jazz-Rock Fusion featuring four artists reaching the absolute peak of their powers (but not yet fully aware of such).

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.

The atrocious cover design notwithstanding, this is a pretty good fusion album.

It seemed in the seventies that Czech bassist Miroslav played with just about everyone. I am particularly fond of his performance on Larry Coryell's "Spaces" album. But he is best known for his work with Weather Report.

Here, he has assembled his own band, most notably featuring John Scofield and Kenny Kirkland. The pieces are good, but not terribly adventurous. And although this is Vitous' band, except for the piece Guardian Angels, the bass isn't really featured on the album.

The first half of the album, aside from the song mentioned above, appeared to be geared to feature soprano sax player Mabumi Yamaguchi. He's actually quite good. And Vitous' acoustic bass playing is nice as well, but none of the songs catch fire.

The second half is more electrified. Vitous switches to electric bass (where he plays with more fire), and John Scofield's guitar helps quite a bit.

It's not easy for me to review this album (on PA). Music there is great but far from what prog fans would like to hear under " jazz rock" tag. Only a real progressive fusion fans can easily imagine this album's content when I will say that year is 1976 and Vitous collaborators on this album are Herbie Hancock, Airto Moreira and Jack DeJohnette (between others).

Nearest shot is Headhunters, and Hacock's keys sound very similar there. Vitous plays guitar beside of bass there, but his main contribution is groove deep dark funky bass line. All music is quite similar to Headhunters sound of similar time, but even if Hancock's keys sound is easily recognisable, main accent is done on rhythm section there.

It's interesting, that even playing similar pure jazz-funk, because of specific rhythm section album often has almost zeuhl groove. Many songs have vocals, something between funky/pre- disco ones, but even voices are more jazzy, than soul-like.

In all, distilled product of early progressive jazz-funk era, this release really is a strong one and should be placed between best Hancock solo releases of same genre. Not recommendable for fans with allergy to funk vibes though.

My rating is 3+.

Miroslav Vitous is known for many as co-founder of Weather Report. He played with the band first three years and gone when WR turned to more funk/commercial direction. After he played jazz with Corea,Stanley Clarke,released some albums on ECM.

After his many years with interest to electric/electronic sound, he returned back to acoustic bass there. I've seen similar program as recorded on this album playing live by duo of Vitous and his regular collaborator Swiss trumpeter Franco Ambrosetti a year before this album was released. To be honest, I wasn't impressed too much that time. But there, on this recordings Vitous and four supporting musicians play excellent music.

First of all, there is no direct connection with Weather Report music at all. If Vitous years in WR was time of their innovative electric sound, this solo release is fully acoustic. But by it's free atmosphere and strong feeling of innovative sound this album could be really compared with WR first albums.

And it's really great how after all these decades Miroslav didn't miss that spirit of adventure, even when music he is playing is far not so innovative or experimental as genre. But in this album he shows his great acoustic bassist form and even better experimentalist soul, containing free jazz with contemporary, and his music being of free and not too structured form sounds there as real classics.

This excellent release is far from any form of fusion or jazz rock and contains music,oriented to free jazz fans mostly. So think twice before paying for it, but jazz adepts will find there tons of great music.

My rating of four stars is based on the assumption that the listener considers the confluence of jazz-rock fusion, disco and almost Zeuhl-like Magma-ish material, from a pioneer Miles Davis Alumni, of interest to a progarchives denizen. Admittedly, it's hard for me to imagine how this album might come across to a modern listener who didn't live through the disco age, the Miles late 70's electric period, and the Prog heyday of the mid-late 70's. The closest modern reference I can think of (minus the disco era vocals) is Squarepusher's "Music is Rotted One Note". I was notorious for toting the vinyl of this album with me circa 1977, and subjecting my friends to it. I found it's mix of booty shaking grooves, funky Weather Report and Miles-like textures, and spaced out background vocals to be a stand out of the era, and still enjoy listening to it today. If your taste in prog encompasses the jazz-rock and funk experiments of the mid 70's, Magma, or even the Japanese Zeuhl expressions of Koenjihyakkei and Bondage Fruit, I'd recommend giving this album a listen. Miroslav Vitous may not be a prog icon, but he certainly is a major figure in jazz and fusion history, and this particular entry should interest those with a broader interest and definition of what constitutes *prog*.

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.