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| | Remembering Weather Report | | | Music Artist : | | Miroslav Vitous | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | Ecm Records | | Release Date : | | 2009-07-07 | | Store Price : | | $17.98 | | Artistopia's Price: $14.99 | | Usually ships in 24 hours | | |
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CD Tracks/Songs
Disc 11. Variations On W. Shorter
2. Variations On Lonely Woman
3. Semina
4. Surfing With Michel
5. When Dvorak Meets Miles
6. Blues Report
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Other Artist Albums
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Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
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 THIS IS NO WEATHER REPORT...........
Submitted on: 2009-10-15 |
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| I have to agree with some other reviewer, this CD has absolutely nothing to do with Weather Report. WR fans should stay away form this album, lest they want to be deeply disappointed. It is nonetheless a good free jazz album, one that Ornette Coleman's fans would surely like. The CD title was totally ill-chosen but anything that Miroslav records will be in my collection. The guy deserves the title of a truly virtuoso bass player. |
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Nothing to do with Weather Report
Submitted on: 2009-08-14 |
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| This record has nothing to do with the music of Joe Zawnul and/or Wayne Shorter except for the fact that the opening track, 'Variations on W. Shorter' is a free interpretation of Shorter's composition 'Nefertiti'. Wayne Shorter should be paid royalties. Miroslav Vitous says that the performances on this record were inspired by a musical concept which HE contributed to Weather Report at the band's inception. He implies that if Weather Report had not moved in the direction of more groove based/funk rhythms, it might have achieved the realization of a "new music" which the recordings on this album apsire to. ABSOLUTE NONSENSE. There is nothing new about the music performed on "Remembering Weather Report". This album is merely composed of subjective free playing. At times good free playing, but not great, and certainly not new. I give this album three stars because of the good free playing, but I do not personally recommend it. The music of Weather Report, (Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter), WAS new. Indescriably new, totally unique and thoroughly musical. History is clear as to who was responsible for Weather Report, including the albums on which Mr. Vitous appeared. |
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 This is much more of an excellent free-jazz set than the title would suggest.
Submitted on: 2009-07-31 |
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The title may seem misleading.
In fact his method of paying tribute to his old band takes an unconventional shape that may appeal more to those with a taste for a freer approach.
Fans of the band won't find much connection with their typical sound or compositional structures. He is joined by guest Michel Portal on bass clarinet, alongside Italian talented trumpeter Franco Ambrosetti and two younger Americans, Gary Campbell on tenor sax and drummer Gerald Cleaver
The Czech acoustic-bass virtuoso's "Weather Report memories make no reference to the electric grooving that made it famous, and he concentrates instead on the free spirit of co-founder Wayne Shorter's elliptical imagination (subtly reflected here by tenorist Gary Campbell) and the fertile jazz soil of the 60s and early 70s from which Weather Report grew". - John Fordhan
Vitous prefers a rather noodly free jazz, an inspired version of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" (with both Campbell and the great French clarinetist Michel Portal reflecting the yearning theme) and his own bowed and plucked playing.
The material includes also a sometimes sketchy "Variations on W. Shorter" and a sort of speculation on a meeting between Miles Davis and Dvorák.
He and his new all-acoustic quartet play brilliantly: it all comes together and is very impressive. But Vitous is the star, whether plucking or bowing his mighty bass, his sound full of passion and jagged energy. |
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 The Forgotten Side of Weather Report
Submitted on: 2009-07-26 |
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I am delighted to say that this recording is long overdue. When you look at the renewed interest in the Weather Report musical legacy after the passing of Joe Zawinul, a lot of the focus centered around the period that evolved after Miroslav Vitous departed the group in mid 70's. The funkier/soulful music that Weather Report recorded when Alphonso Johnson and Jaco Pastorious anchored the Bass chairs cannot be argued or denied as anything but brilliant music. As one of the three original founding members of Weather Report, Miroslav's contribution to the group's success has almost been lost in the latest interest in the Group's contribution to Jazz. Vitous was, and still is, a masterful composer with a truly unique approach to the Acoustic Bass. Looking back at Weather Report during his tenure with the group, his playing was so far ahead of everything else I heard at the time, that I missed part of his unique contributions to the group's open-ended improvisational sound. "Remembering Weather Report" sent me reeling backwards to those beautiful moments captured in the first three Weather Report albums.
This is a jewel of a recording that updates and pushes forward the idea of Jazz being centered around "direct conversations and parity between the instruments." The beauty in this music is that you can clearly here the passion that each musician brings to the recording. Miroslav is still the best at Bass bowing because he is not afraid to tap into all musical spectrums to color his sound. I was not familiar with the other musician playing here, but have started exploring their individual works because they play so well in this setting. I hope that this is the first of many recordings that they will do together. This creative and startling beautiful music will open your ears to new possibilities to explore. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
I also hope that this release will highly motivate ECM to release two other exceptional recordings from Miroslav's catalog. The vibrant and beautiful "First Meeting" (1980) and "Miroslav Vitous Group" (1981) deserve to be released from the ECM vaults. This Bassist deserves to be heard and treasured. So let's get cracking and get it done! In the mean time, cherish this work of excellence. Peace! |
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