FunkFreak75 This childhood friend of Jan Hammer had made the move to the United States after winning a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music in 1966. After a stint with flugelhorn pioneer Clark Terry in Chicago, he matriculated to New York at the invitation of Miles Davis in 1967 where he met Herbie Mann with whom he recorded two albums--one that was to come after this. Infinite Search was recorded on October 8, 1969, with Herbie Mann producing. This January publication was one of the first releases of Herbie Mann's new label, Embryo Records. The album 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.

FunkFreak75 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). This album came as a real surprise to me; it is definitely one of the early masterpieces of this new style of musical expression.

Steve Wyzard NOT WHAT YOU WANTED

Let me begin by saying this is a very good album and worthy addition to your Miroslav Vitous collection. That being said, it also needs to immediately follow that this is NOT an early-1970s throwback album. Fusion fans must have foamed at the mouth when this was originally released and they scanned the line-up of musicians. So what do we actually have here?

Only 2 of the 5 names appearing on the front cover play on all 9 tracks: Miroslav Vitous (bass), and Jack DeJohnette (drums). Both of their performances throughout are outstanding, with "Medium" being a viciously driving duet. John McLaughlin, in only his second appearance on the ECM label, appears on only 2 tracks: "Univoyage" and "Faith Run". His understated contribution to the latter is much more substantial than that on the former, and on both songs, he only plays acoustic guitar. Chick Corea (piano) performs on 3 tracks: "Univoyage", "Sun Flower", and "Miro Bop". Jan Garbarek (tenor sax) plays on 7 of the 9 tracks (with 2 co-composing credits), making this album much closer to a trio album with special guests than a quintet album. "Bamboo Forest", "Beethoven", and "Brazil Waves" feature only the trio. The 5 players, in fact, only appear together on "Univoyage".

The most controversial aspect of this album is the inclusion of a brass trio (trumpet/flugelhorn/trombone) on "Univoyage", "Tramp Blues", and "Faith Run". This ensemble adds light background touches and sound effects here and there, and a punctuation phrase every now and then. These contributions don't ruin the album or overly clutter the sound, but one wonders why they are there at all.

So if you were looking for a 21st Century Mahavishnu, composed and recorded 30 years after their glory days, you've come to the wrong place. Universal Syncopations is one of those albums that will always live in the shadow of what it could have been, and what listeners may have been expecting from these players. Which is a shame, because it's still a very good Miroslav Vitous album, in spite of who is and isn't playing.

snobb Bassist and composer Miroslav Vitous (originally - Vitouš)is beside of keyboardist Jan Hammer most significant Czech jazz artist of last four decades. US-based from 1966,his first recording (as collaborator) was almost classic Chick Corea's "Now He Sings, Now He Sobs", from 1968 to 1970 he played as Herbie Mann's band bassist.

Recorded in New York in fall 1969 (and Herbie Mann's produced) his debut solo album is good example of progressive fusion atmosphere of that time and place.Musicians participated on these recordings all are future stars including (still "Mahavishnu") John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock, Jack DeJohnette, sax player Joe Henderson and second drummer Joe Chambers. An year later Vitous will co-found unique guitar-less fusion band Weather Report, and what is recorded on "Infinite Search" could be counted as blueprint of his future fusion vision.

Five of six compositions are Vitous originals (probably here lays main album's problem for many listeners - from here for years his compositions are very often too bulky,open-ended and frame-less and as a result often sound unfinished). This album could be hardly evaluated out of time and place, and to say truth it sounds more interesting than great. Open ear listener can find here some ideas which later will be developed not only by Weather Report, but in Hancock's and McLaughlin fusion recordings as well.

Almost unnoticed at the time of release, this album was re-released on the wave of fusion popularity by major label just two years later (under the new title "Mountain In The Clouds", Atlantic,1972, with one additional song),but never received big success. Vitous himself being one major name in world fusion movement never was very successful with his solo releases as well. Often counted as Vitous most important solo release, "Infinite Search" is valuable evidence of fusion early years, it's significant Vitous will return to its spirit (partially with same collaborators) on his 2003 album "Universal Syncopations" after more than three decades.

Chicapah This is one of those albums that I took home for all the righteous reasons but upon hearing it soon realized that this kind of eclectic, advanced jazz music was (and still is) way over my head. “So how’d you come to own a copy?” you might ask. Here’s my story and I’m sticking with it. I had become enamored with Weather Report’s “Sweetnighter” record and thought that, since it struck such a resonating chord in me, perhaps I was ready to sample what their incredible bassist, Miroslav Vitous, had been up to previously. I was mistaken. I was nowhere near being in the vicinity of ready. But I didn’t know that when I spotted this LP in the record store on that day in ‘73 and I wrongly figured I was being smugly adventurous and daring in buying it. The joke was on me. The sounds Miroslav manufactures on “Mountain in the Clouds” bear very little resemblance to what he’d been a part of with Weather Report. I’ll admit right up front that I’m in no position to judge the quality of the musicianship that’s necessary to pull off these songs. In fact, I haven’t a doubt that the performances are top notch all around. But in the same way I greatly admire those who can easily master advanced calculus or quantum physics it’s a moot point. Those mathematical realms mean nothing to me. That’s how I feel about this brand of fusion. I just don’t get it. However, I can offer a review based on whether or not it moves me, stimulates my heart or intrigues my imagination. For example, while quite a bit of Picasso’s cubist art befuddles me on the surface level, he still manages to touch my soul with those paintings in a way that I can’t express in words. So an artist’s unfathomable ability doesn’t preclude my being deeply affected by his/her work on a higher plane of consciousness. Unfortunately for me, that spiritual connection has yet to happen with this album no matter how many times I sit and concentrate on the music it contains.

I wasn’t exactly repulsed by the impressive list of helpers he’d enlisted for this project. Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin and Joe Henderson were all familiar names in my jazz vocabulary. The deciding factor (as I was weighing the pros and cons of spending my limited funds on this disc) was the inclusion of Eddie Harris’ fascinating “Freedom Jazz Dance” tune. I adore the excellent version Brian Auger recorded with his Oblivion Express group so I was intensely curious as to what sort of spin these fellas had put on one of my favorite jazz numbers. Since nothing else in the store tickled my fickle fancy that afternoon, I parted ways with most of my weekly entertainment budget and, as always, hoped that it would knock my gym socks off when I got it on my turntable.

The cool song I mentioned is the first cut. The tune’s catchy but complex central melody is recognizable but beyond that this is the equivalent of musical rocket science to me. Vitous scats all over his upright acoustic bass like a maniac as the rest of the crew create mayhem on the periphery. I can tell they’re all staying in the same key but that’s about it. Hancock and McLaughlin play ferociously during their respective rides and I dig their skills but Jack DeJohnette sounds like he’s performing a non-stop drum solo from start to finish. Henderson’s saxophone lead is the only thing I can loosely latch onto. “Mountain in the Clouds” has a nifty speed-of-light tempo but I don’t hear a melody. I guess when it’s only populated by bass and drums that’s asking too much. “Epilogue” follows. Miroslav and Herbie compliment each other during the peaceful intro before drummer Joe Chambers joins them with some light, semi-rhythmic patterns but the track remains airy and undefined. I detect a vague chord structure but it doesn’t satisfy my insatiable hunger for melodic phrases. “Cerecka” is next but it’s extremely weird avant garde stuff and I find it impossible to enjoy any aspect of this noisy cacophony. It disturbs me.

“Infinite Search” is quieter yet no less alien to my ears and the microscopic brain they’re attached to. Vitous takes the reins here but he fails to lead me anywhere exciting. Hancock’s piano offerings make more sense although I’m mystified as to why McLaughlin is being limited to repeating the same two notes throughout. “I Will Tell Him On You” has a melody line but it’s very odd and doesn’t hang around for long as they dive once again into the “crazy jazz” zone that makes me feel like an imbecile for not being able to savvy what they’re doing. It’s probably really good! I’m not entirely put off by Henderson’s tenor sax tone so I figure that’s something. John puts on display some of the electrified wildness on his fretboard that will characterize what he'll bring under control and feature in The Mahavishnu Orchestra a few years later (this was taped in ’69). DeJohnette gets his moment in the spotlight but it’s indistinguishable from the arrhythmic racket he generates most of the time in the background anyway. After eleven minutes the song dies a painful death. “When Face Gets Pale” is the closer but by this juncture I’m so lost that up is down and in is out. Miroslav sets the pace once again but for what purpose I haven’t a clue. The interesting thing is that all the musicians seem to know precisely what they’re up to so I’m certain I’m the one stranded in the jungle, not them. I gather that there’s a method to their madness but it’s too strange for my unrefined jazz tastes. I’ll leave it at that.

I’m sure that many sane jazzers find immense pleasure in immersing themselves in this sort of convoluted, enigmatic and perplexing tapestry of sounds and I have nothing but envy for them. I wish I could comprehend what these talented guys were constructing with their aural sculptures. I know they wouldn’t waste their time making musical mud pies just for grins and I’d love to be privy to their brand of genius. Alas, it ain’t meant to be for this Dallas cowboy so I’ll just have to stick with the likes of Weather Report and Return to Forever for my fusion fixes. If you crave the bizarre side of jazz then you’ll get lots of bangs for your bucks out of “Mountain in the Clouds.” If you’re like me then take my advice. You’d best spend your money on a Dave Brubeck album. You’ll have a lot more fun.