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Miroslav Vitous
“Remembering Weather Report”
www.miroslavvitous.com
How could you NOT be intrigued by this album?! Miroslav is (obviously) one of Weather Reports earliest bassists and a fully recognized virtuoso (not to mention one of the most artistically minded bassists of his generation). He can be heard on “Weather Report”, “I Sing the Body Electric” & “Live in Tokyo”.
This release is very reminiscent of those hyper-exploratory and more atmospheric WR years. There is a very apparent musical connection between Miroslav and drummer Gerald Cleaver. While hard to put your finger on, they weave a thread that is undeniably creative and free form. While much more of an acoustic project than WR (upright, drums, bass-clarinet, tenor and trumpet!) this very much keeps in touch with the creative spirit that led to one of the most influential jazz groups of their time. No, you will not hear “Bird Land” here. This music is about the spirit and reflection of what that group was about. Equally distributed prominence (instrumentally) with an emphasis on creativity and spontaneity.
While admittedly, this may be a little too free-form for many American Jazz lovers (or Weather Report lovers), anyone with a taste for the more avant-garde side of jazz will absolutely LOVE this disc. The playing is phenomenal and the musical interactions are awe inspiring.
Damian Erskine has written 160 articles in BMM.
Damian Erskine is not your ordinary bass player. While not touring, Damian hones his chops with some of the best jazz and latin musicians the West coast has to offer. Damian is known for his ability to fit into any musical situation and his extraordinary reading and improvising skills. Damian has played in the studio or on the stage with the likes of • Peter Erskine • Teri-Lynn Carrington • Gino Vannelli • John Ellis • Shawn Pelton • Sveti w/ Marko Djordjevic • Luis Conte • Brandon Ross • Les McCann • Jeff Lorber • Vardan Ovsepian • Charmaine Neville • Jessy J • Luis Perdomo • Tony Furtado • Kate Schutt • Bobby Torres • Alan Jones • Patrick Lamb • Dan Balmer • Klezmocracy and many others as well as being featured on the GospelChops.com "Shed Sessionz Vol. 1" DVD. Whether playing as a sideman or with his own group, he is known for his rock solid bass work, virtuosic solos and thoughtful chordal abilities.
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