MIROSLAV VITOUS - Infinite Search (1969-1988) Jazz Best Collection 1000 / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, and Jack DeJohnette, this group rivaled the best fusion bands of the day. It must have been an intimidating challenge for a young Czech bassist to lead such a group on his debut album as a frontman, especially since he composed five of the six tracks. Recorded in late 1969, roughly the same time as the historic Bitches Brew, and the year before Vitous began a stint with the innovative Weather Report, this was trend-setting fusion. It's produced by Herbie Mann, for whom Vitous played on such albums as Memphis Underground and Stone Flute.by Mark Allan

Tracklist:

1. Freedom Jazz Dance 

Eddie Harris

2. Mountain In The Clouds

Miroslav Vitous

3. Epilogue

Miroslav Vitous

4. Cérecka

Miroslav Vitous

5. Infinite Search

Miroslav Vitous

6. I Will Tell Him On You

Miroslav Vitous

7. When Face Gets Pale

Miroslav Vitous

Credits

Miroslav Vitous-bass

Joe Henderson-tenor saxophone

Mahavishnu John McLaughlin-guitar

Herbie Hancock-electric piano

Jack DeJohnette-drums

Joe Chambers: drums on 3 y 4

MIROSLAV VITOUS - Majesty Music (1976-2015) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Vitous is often at his best when the usual band dynamic is inverted so that his fellow band members fade back to become a mere accompaniment to his bass soloing. This release continued the high quality of Vitous's previous solo work, and while not every track is memorable, the floating dissonance of "Streams and Fields" and the frenzied bowed bass over brittle staccato drums in "New Orleans" are both clear precursors to Vitous's superb work the next year with Jack DeJohnette and Terje Rypdal. by Paul Collins
Tracklist:
1 X Rated 3:26
Bass, Guitar Synthesizer [360 System] – Miroslav Vitous
Composed By, Arranged By – Miroslav Vitous
Congas – David Earl Johnson
Drums – Lenny White
Synthesizer [String Ensemble], Electric Piano, Vocals – Rimona Francis
Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Jaroslav Jakubovic
2 See You, November 3:31
Composed By – Jaroslav Jakubovic
Composed By, Arranged By – Miroslav Vitous
Congas, Percussion – David Earl Johnson
Double Bass [Acoustic Bass], Synthesizer [String Ensemble, Mini Moog] – Miroslav Vitous
Tenor Saxophone – Jaroslav Jakubovic
3 Majesty Music 4:35
Composed By, Arranged By – Miroslav Vitous
Congas – David Earl Johnson
Double Bass [Acoustic Bass], Piano [Acoustic] – Miroslav Vitous
Drums – Gerry Brown
Synthesizer [String Ensemble], Electric Piano, Vocals – Rimona Francis
4 New Orleans 3:22
Alto Saxophone – Jaroslav Jakubovic
Clavinet, Electric Bass, Double Bass [Acoustic Bass], Synthesizer [Mini Moog] – Miroslav Vitous
Composed By, Arranged By – Miroslav Vitous
Drums – Lenny White
Electric Bass – Francesco Centeno
5 Do You, Don't You, Won't You ? 2:58
Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Flute – Jaroslav Jakubovic
Composed By, Arranged By – Jaroslav Jakubovic
Double Bass [Acoustic Bass], Soloist – Miroslav Vitous
Drums – Lenny White
Electric Bass – Francesco Centeno
Electric Piano, Synthesizer [String Ensemble, Mini Moog] – Kenny Bichel
6 Best Friends 4:11
Composed By, Arranged By – Miroslav Vitous
Congas – David Earl Johnson
Drums – Gerry Brown
Guitar, Double Bass [Acoustic Bass] – Miroslav Vitous
Synthesizer [String Ensemble] – Rimona Francis
Tenor Saxophone – Jaroslav Jakubovic
7 Streams And Fields 3:07
Composed By, Arranged By – Miroslav Vitous
Congas – David Earl Johnson
Double Bass [Acoustic Bass], Synthesizer [String Ensemble, Mini Moog] – Miroslav Vitous
Vocals, Synthesizer [String Ensemble], Electric Piano – Rimona Francis
8 Folks 4:31
Baritone Saxophone – Jaroslav Jakubovic
Composed By, Arranged By – Miroslav Vitous
Congas – David Earl Johnson
Drums – Bobby Goldman
Piano [Acoustic], Electric Piano, Synthesizer [String Ensemble], Double Bass [Acoustic Bass] – Miroslav Vitous
9 Mount Shasta (Part II) 3:50
Baritone Saxophone – Jaroslav Jakubovic
Composed By, Arranged By – Miroslav Vitous
Congas – David Earl Johnson
Double Bass [Acoustic Bass], Synthesizer [String Ensemble, Mini Moog] – Miroslav Vitous
Drums – Lenny White
10 Requiem For My Mother 5:09
Composed By, Arranged By – Jaroslav Jakubovic
Double Bass [Acoustic Bass], Synthesizer [String Ensemble] – Miroslav Vitous
Tenor Saxophone – Jaroslav Jakubovic

MIROSLAV VITOUS - Miroslav (1977) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

1976-1977 sessions with Don Alias and Armen Halburian on percussion. Vitous overdubs bass and keyboards. A stunning musical trip through Afro-jazz texture music. "Tiger in the Rain" is absolutely captivating. by Michael G. Nastos
Tracklist:
1 Watching The Sunset Run 8:02
2 Bassamba 2:58
3 Tiger In The Rain 8:54
4 Concerto In E Minor 5:30
5 Pictures From Moravia 4:49
6 Sonata For A Dream 5:39
Percussion – Armen Halburian
Credits:
Acoustic Bass [Arco & Pizzicato], Piano, Electric Piano, Synthesizer [Mini-Moog, ARP String Ensemble], Composed By  – Miroslav Vitous
Congas, Bongos, Drums, Percussion – Don Alias (tracks: 1 to 5)

TERJE RYPDAL / MIROSLAV VITOUS / JACK DeJOHNETTE - Terje Rypdal, Miroslav Vitous, Jack DeJohnette (1979-2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

An otherworldly soundscape of aching beauty, this album is a must-have for aficionados of any member of this trio. Rypdal's guitar is hauntingly reverbed and distant throughout, though occasionally on "Seasons" he becomes too fond of caterwauling guitar synth. But this is truly an effort of trio fusion, with ineffable pieces like "Den Forste Sne" ("The First Snow") appearing and melting away without any tangible solos or structure. From the opening cymbal strikes of "Sunrise," this album is marked by DeJohnette's best drumming on record; his cymbal sound, pushed to the front and recorded with mikes both above and below the cymbal's bell -- "because that's how the drummer hears it" -- is nothing short of revelatory. Vitous' bass steadies Rypdal's flights of fancy, while his subtle electric piano lines float above. These elements combine most powerfully in "Believer," which builds from atmospheric shimmers of electric piano into a whorl of bass and plaintive guitar set against the dry rasp of resonating cymbals. by Paul Collins
Tracklist:
1 Sunrise 8:26
Written-By – Rypdal
2 Den Forste Sne 6:35
Written-By – Rypdal
3 Will 8:01
Written-By – Vitous
4 Believer 6:23
Written-By – Vitous
5 Flight 5:25
Written-By – DeJohnette, Vitous, Rypdal
6 Seasons 7:22
Written-By – DeJohnette, Vitous, Rypdal
Credits:
Double Bass, Electric Piano – Miroslav Vitous
Drums – Jack DeJohnette
Guitar, Guitar Synthesizer, Organ – Terje Rypdal
Producer – Manfred Eicher

TERJE RYPDAL / MIROSLAV VITOUS / JACK DeJOHNETTE - To Be Continued (1981) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Essentially a continuation of Rypdal Vitous DeJohnette, this album somewhat lacks the atmospheric keyboards of its predecessor. It is nonetheless quite compelling, particularly in DeJohnette's propulsive drumming on the title track, and his phantasmic piano and voice on "Uncomposed Appendix." This album also features one of Rypdal's best-loved works, the gorgeously stark and stately "Topplue, Votter & Skjerf" -- Norwegian for "Hat, gloves, and scarf," an idiomatic phrase implying the onset of their long and cold winter. by Paul Collins
Tracklist:
1. Maya 6:17
Written-By – Rypdal
2. Mountain In The Clouds 4:57
Written-By – Vitous
3. Morning Lake 7:21
Written-By – Vitous
4. To Be Continued 9:11
Written-By – DeJohnette
5. This Morning 5:22
Written-By – DeJohnette, Vitous, Rypdal
6. Topplue, Votter & Skjerf 3:47
Written-By – Rypdal
7. Uncomposed Appendix 1:50
Credits:
Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Miroslav Vitous
Drums [Sonor Drums, Paiste Cymbals] – Jack DeJohnette
Electric Guitar [Electric Guitars] – Terje Rypdal
Flute – Terje Rypdal (tracks: 4)
Piano – Miroslav Vitous (tracks: 3)
Producer – Manfred Eicher
Voice – Jack DeJohnette (tracks: 7)

MIROSLAV VITOUS - Journey's End (1982) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Bassist Miroslav Vitous recorded this quartet session in 1982 with John Surman on soprano and baritone saxophones and bass clarinet, John Taylor on piano, and Jon Christensen on drums. Unavailable in the U.S., the disc includes two remarkable pieces by Surman, the lilting 3/4 "Tess" and the churning, wildly unpredictable "Paragraph Jay." Taylor weighs in with the closing track, "Windfall," another shimmering entry in 3/4 time. Vitous' nine-minute opener, "U Dunaje U Prespurka," inspired by a Czech folk song, is a marvel of gradual development and abstract grooving. "Only One," a rubato meditation that Vitous dedicates to his late father, finds the leader switching from upright to electric fretless bass. Surman's rhythmic clicking of keys on bari sax serves as the foundation for "Carry On, No. 1," a wholly improvised piece; Vitous intuitively sends it into high gear about halfway through with superbly chosen low notes. Journey's End is highly recommended to those willing to search for it. by David R. Adler
Tracklist:

1 U Dunaje U Prespurka 9:18

Miroslav Vitous
2 Tess 5:56

John Surman

3 Carry On, No. 1 5:08
John Surman
4 Paragraph Jay 6:16
John Surman
5 Only One 7:14
Miroslav Vitous
6 Windfall 6:17
John Taylor
Credits:
Baritone Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – John Surman
Bass – Miroslav Vitous
Composed By – Surman (tracks: 2, 4), Vitous (tracks: 1, 5)
Drums – Jon Christensen
Piano – John Taylor
Producer – Manfred Eicher

MIROSLAV VITOUS - Emergence (1986) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Emergence showcases Miroslav Vitous in a solo bass setting, with no overdubs. It's austere and challenging, but Vitous is never ponderous; he sustains plenty of interest with his passion and staggering technique, dividing his time equally between pizzicato and arco statements. He's haunting and abstract on the four-part "Atlantis Suite" but comes down to earth with the Porgy & Bess-inspired "Regards to Gershwin's Honeyman," the Fain-Hilliard waltz "Alice in Wonderland," and the closing "Variations on Spanish Themes," an homage to Sketches of Spain. An excellent complement to other solo bass statements on ECM, most notably by Dave Holland and Gary Peacock. by David R. Adler
Tracklist:
1 Epilogue 8:13
Miroslav Vitous
2 Transformation 5:58
Miroslav Vitous
3 Atlantis Suite: Emergence of the Spirit 4:53
Miroslav Vitous
4 Atlantis Suite: Matter and Spirit 1:56
Miroslav Vitous
5 Atlantis Suite: The Choice 1:58
Miroslav Vitous
6 Atlantis Suite: Destruction Into Energy 3:05
Miroslav Vitous
7 Wheel of Fortune (When Face Gets Pale) 6:08
Miroslav Vitous
8 Reguards to Gershwin's Honeyman 3:28
Miroslav Vitous
9 Alice in Wonderland 3:43
Sammy Fain / Bob Hilliard
10 Morning Lake for Ever 5:34
Miroslav Vitous
11 Variations on Spanish Themes 8:38
Miroslav Vitous
Credits:
Miroslav Vitous - Bass

MIROSLAV VITOUS - Universal Syncopations (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

On his first jazz date as a leader since 1992, Czechoslovakian bassist and composer Miroslav Vitous comes out of the gate with a host of heavyweights on one of the more lyrically swinging dates in modern jazz. Vitous' engaged, pulsing, and deeply woody tone is featured in the company of John McLaughlin, Jan Garbarek, Chick Corea, and Jack DeJohnette. While the crystalline sound of Manfred Eicher's ECM is everywhere here, as is the open-ended speculative jazz that the label is renowned -- and ridiculed for -- Vitous offers some startlingly beautiful twists and turns with his ensemble. Vitous, who has been through every music, from jazz-rock fusion as a founding member of Weather Report to being a classical composer, decided to revisit the skeletal remains of his very first session for the label in 1969. Produced by Herbie Mann the disc was, from a musical standpoint, a contentious, utterly brilliant marriage of ideas both old and new. Bandmembers DeJohnette and McLaughlin were present on those sides as well. Universal Syncopations is by turns a return to not the old forms, but rather to the manner of illustrating harmonic concepts in a quintet setting that allows for a maximum space between ensemble players while turning notions of swing, counterpoint, and rhythmic invention on their heads. From the wooly, expressionistic "Tramp Blues," with Vitous vamping around the changes, to the wide-open legato guitar phrasing of McLauglin against the double time in Vitous' bass on "Univoyage," to the simmering undulations of Garbarek's saxophones on top of Corea's intricate melodies and right-hand runs on "Brazilan Waves," all of it propelled, not anchored, by the leader's rich tone and accented and punctuated by Garbarek's tight, loping saxophone lines. This is one of those recordings that feels familiar in tone, but is timeless in concept and execution. Universal Syncopations is one of the most gorgeous sounding and toughly played dates of the calendar year.  by Thom Jurek
Tracklist:
1     Bamboo Forest        4:37
Miroslav Vitous
2     Univoyage    10:54
Miroslav Vitous
3    Tramp Blues    5:19
Miroslav Vitous
4    Faith Run    4:58
Miroslav Vitous
5    Sun Flower    7:21
Miroslav Vitous
6    Miro Bop    4:03
Miroslav Vitous
7    Beethoven    7:18
Jan Garbarek / Miroslav Vitous
8    Medium    5:09
Jan Garbarek / Miroslav Vitous
9    Brazil Waves    4:26
Jan Garbarek / Miroslav Vitous
Credits
Double Bass, Written-By, Producer, Edited By, Mixed By – Miroslav Vitous
Drums – Jack DeJohnette
Guitar – John McLaughlin
Piano – Chick Corea
Producer, Edited By, Mixed By – Manfred Eicher
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Jan Garbarek
Trombone – Isaac Smith (tracks: 2 to 4)
Trumpet – Wayne Bergeron (tracks: 2 to 4)
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Valerie Ponomarev (tracks: 2 to 4)
Written-By – Jack DeJohnette (tracks: 8), Jan Garbarek (tracks: 7, 9)