On his outset jazz engagement every bit a leader since 1992, Czechoslovakian bassist together with composer Miroslav Vitous comes out of the gate with a host of heavyweights on ane of the to a greater extent than lyrically swinging dates inward modern jazz. Vitous' engaged, pulsing, together with deeply woody tone is featured inward the fellowship of John McLaughlin, January Garbarek, Chick Corea, together with Jack DeJohnette. While the crystalline audio of Manfred Eicher's ECM is everywhere here, every bit is the open-ended speculative jazz that the label is renowned -- together with ridiculed for -- Vitous offers some startlingly beautiful twists together with turns with his ensemble. Vitous, who has been through every music, from jazz-rock fusion every bit a founding fellow member of Weather Report to beingness a classical composer, decided to revisit the skeletal remains of his really outset session for the label inward 1969. Produced past times Herbie Isle of Mann the disc was, from a musical standpoint, a contentious, utterly brilliant union of ideas both former together with new. Bandmembers DeJohnette together with McLaughlin were nowadays on those sides every bit well. Universal Syncopations is past times turns a render to non the former forms, but rather to the trend of illustrating harmonic concepts inward a quintet setting that allows for a maximum infinite betwixt ensemble players piece turning notions of swing, counterpoint, together with rhythmic innovation on their heads. From the wooly, expressionistic "Tramp Blues," with Vitous vamping some the changes, to the wide-open legato guitar phrasing of McLauglin against the double fourth dimension inward Vitous' bass on "Univoyage," to the simmering undulations of Garbarek's saxophones on top of Corea's intricate melodies together with right-hand runs on "Brazilan Waves," all of it propelled, non anchored, past times the leader's rich tone together with accented together with punctuated past times Garbarek's tight, loping saxophone lines. This is ane of those recordings that feels familiar inward tone, but is timeless inward concept together with execution. Universal Syncopations is ane of the most gorgeous sounding together with toughly played dates of the calendar year.
Bassist Miroslav Vitous, veteran of the bands of Miles Davis, Herbie Mann, Donald Byrd, Chick Corea together with numerous others had a dream decade later coming to the states inward 1966 on a music scholarship. Within years, he would tape ane of the seminal documents of the fusion movement, 1969's Infinite Search together with co-found ane of the ii most influential groups working with the union of jazz together with stone - Weather Report. The ensuing ii decades would survive less spectacular but it would survive unfair to dismiss the Czech prodigy exactly for a depression profile.
Going on a solo tour inward lodge to promote his novel grouping recording would appear a foreign alternative but Vitous has never been traditional. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 four-performance tour, with a halt at Joe's Pub inward belatedly October, is genuinely thematically consistent with Vitous' approach on his novel album Universal Syncopations.
Vitous inward conversation speaks of liberating the bass from slavery. In fact, he desires his music to survive an equal conversation betwixt musicians, with the persuasion of leads together with backups an outmoded concept. This is an admirable aspiration but a hard ane to achieve. Vitous makes the chore to a greater extent than hard for himself with his alternative of musicians: saxophonist January Garbarek, pianist Chick Corea, guitarist John McLaughlin together with drummer Jack DeJohnette. Not alone are these 4 major innovators together with weighty personas, they all select a history with the bassist. Vitous must exert his volition across the nine-track, 54-minute disc inward lodge to maintain the proceedings equitable, fresh together with moving. Part of the solution for Vitous, done inward part from practical considerations, was to tape the beat tracks together together with thence select each instrumentalist tape his part separately, preventing the musicians from falling into former habits or uninspired grouping soup.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 bassist that tin maintain a venue similar Joe's Pub riveted (and quiet) for ninety minutes is upwards to the task. Through nine compositions, inward formats ranging from drum-bass duets to quintet numbers augmented past times a horn trio, Vitous' compelling compositions (always on par with his playing, unremarkably a hard feat for a "rhythm section" player) percolate with intensity. Garbarek inward particular is the beneficiary of Vitous' trouble solid ideas of what he wanted out of the sessions, contributing playing that is rich with emotion together with verve together with surprisingly far from his unremarkably sterile Nordic facade.
"Bamboo Forest" has a smoothen tune with a quirky twist; a brusk elementary controversy that rides on Vitous' resolute ostinatos. One of the lengthier pieces, "Univoyage", a total band piece, expectedly opens things up, portions including Corea's typically languorous trend (though he thankfully maintain his florid tendencies inward check) together with McLaughlin displaying the mellow aging procedure his playing has gone through, silent vibrant but for sure less brash. Garbarek's soaring wails contrast nicely with McLaughlin's idiosyncratic approach, each filling the other's spaces. The slippery "Tramp Blues" features Vitous every bit the chief soloist, using the elementary construction of the tune to embellish together with ornament. "Faith Run" is a fast-paced number, propelled past times DeJohnette's ride cymbal, together with to a greater extent than typical McLaughlin monkey business.
"Sun Flower" begins every bit an updated Trio, with DeJohnette depping for Roy Haynes until Garbarek joins; the slice careens into out territories every bit saxophone together with pianoforte debate with each until piece of cake easing out again. "Miro Bop" is exactly that, pleasant postal service bop that allows DeJohnette to come upwards to the forefront for the alone time. "Beethoven" is highlighted past times an inventive call-and-response betwixt Vitous together with Garbarek over staccato drumwork, the bassist pushing the saxophonist with tough questions, unexpected answers together with plenty of tonal shifts. Like label together with musical instrument mate Dave Holland, Vitous never loses sight of the melodic logic of a piece, almost plenty to survive a groove bassist except he is far likewise original.
The album ends with the pair slice "Medium" (recalling similar function with Billy Cobham on Vitous' 2nd album Purple, released alone inward Japan), which has the subtlety of a character loving cup of tea; together with the trio set out "Brazil Waves." The ballad closes out the album together with is remarkable for Garbarek, non ane known for his reserve, laying dorsum together with giving most of the room to Vitous together with DeJohnette.
Perhaps Vitous should select run inward the gubernatorial race inward California; Universal Syncopations shows he is masterful at balancing persuasion together with execution, together with marshalling all the talent some him to maximum effect.
Miroslav Vitous’s Universal Syncopations is an ode to many things. To the belatedly 60s, when he set downwards the seminal album Infinite Search with guitarist John McLaughlin together with drummer Jack DeJohnette, both featured on the nowadays disc. To the purity of improvisation every bit a game of thrones over which melodic integrity forever reigns. To the joys of making music inward fine company. Indeed, the Czech bassist could hardly inquire for improve session mates with whom to part the infinite search that is jazz. To that end, he is farther joined past times pianist Chick Corea together with saxophonist January Garbarek, the latter of whom produces some of his liveliest playing yet. For ECM fans, it should survive particularly poignant to listen Garbarek together with DeJohnette reunited inward the studio, a planetary alignment non heard on the label since 1982’s Voice from the Past – PARADIGM.
Although Vitous has never been ane for predictability, he is a poster tike for reliability. One grab of “Bamboo Forest,” together with it’s obvious: he is a musician’s musician, whose muscling ranges from powerful to miniscule (note, for example, his acrobatics inward the penultimate track, “Medium”). Spurred along past times a Brazilian vibe, the joyous sweep of this album opener finds Garbarek ticking off a smoothen listing of errands, adding depth to the gloss with every lick of his reed. And really, it’s the Vitous-Garbarek-DeJohnette nexus that holds the molecule together throughout, flexing with special limberness inward “Univoyage.” Here DeJohnette holds downwards the fort piece the residual flit nearly with all the liberty of the globe at their wingtips. McLaughlin together with Corea supply spectral flashes inward the brightness of their playing, icon the stardust to Garbarek’s eagle-eyed navigation. The swanky “Tramp Blues” finds the same trio walking a tightrope of human face toward to a greater extent than playful destinations.
Other configurations, however, usage arise organically from the mix. There is the bass-drums-guitar grouping of “Faith Run,” which deposits DeJohnette’s propulsion at the middle of it all, directly Au past times McLaughlin’s sparkling ringlets (it’s also the final of iii tracks featuring low-cal brass accompaniment). Yet some other coloration introduces itself inward “Sun Flower,” which brings Corea dorsum into the mix amongst the dynamic beat section. Pianist, drummer, together with bassist trip the low-cal fantastic toe together with divine past times turns, Garbarek hanging depression to convey earthier hues to canvas. Corea hangs some for “Miro Bop.” This swinging slice of prosody lights its fair part of fireworks from DeJohnette, piece Garbarek in ane lawsuit again proves his chops together with strategic deployment every bit a jazzman. The saxophonist joins Vitous inward “Beethoven,” a slick lesson inward translation with DeJohnette acting every bit interpreter. What goes some comes some every bit “Brazil Waves” ends the album inward the same vein with which it began: an atmospheric ride through surging beats together with melodic treats.
Universal Syncopations is a tapestry of audio woven past times steady, skilful hands. Each instrumentalist knows when to brand agency for another’s move past times of thread together with to contribute his ain color when appropriate. The overall final result is unanimous together with gifts us with a chunk of unforgettable, life-affirming jazz, its heart inward all the correct places.
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Track listing:
All compositions past times Miroslav Vitouš except every bit indicated.
1. "Bamboo Forest" - 4:37
2. "Univoyage" - 10:54
3. "Tramp Blues" - 5:19
4. "Faith Run" - 4:58
5. "Sun Flower" - 7:21
6. "Miro Bop" - 4:03
7. "Beethoven" (Jan Garbarek, Vitouš) - 7:18
8. "Medium" (Jack DeJohnette, Vitouš) - 5:09
9. "Brazil Waves" (Garbarek, Vitouš) - 4:26
Personnel:
Miroslav Vitouš — double bass
January Garbarek — soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
Chick Corea — piano
John McLaughlin — guitar
Jack DeJohnette — drums
Wayne Bergeron — trumpet (tracks 2-4)
Valery Ponomarev — trumpet, flugelhorn (tracks 2-4)
Isaac Smith — trombone (tracks 2-4)
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