Monday, May 23, 2016

USA Miroslav Vitous, Gary Campbell , Roberto Bonisolo , Aydin Esen , Gerald Cleaver, Nasheet Waits-Music From Weather Report (ECM 2016)

Miroslav Vitous: double bass, keyboards; Gary Campbell: soprano and tenor saxophone; Roberto Bonisolo: soprano and tenor saxophone; Aydin Esen: keyboards
Gerald Cleaver: drums; Nasheet Waits: drums

The great Czech bassist returns once more to the music of Weather Report, the group he co-founded with Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter in 1970.

Its the improvisational freedom of the early Weather Report that most interests Vitous, and he abides by their old rallying call everyone solos and no one solos.

Well-known Report repertoire re-explored includes Birdland, Seventh Arrow, Scarlet Woman, Pinocchio and Morning Lake and Miroslavs group also plays Jugglers Issue a piece which the first Weather Report line-up played but didnt record.

Interspersed along the way are three new blues tunes from Vitouss pen. The band, driven by the astounding double drumming of Gerald Cleaver and Nasheet Waits, is energetic and daring, juxtaposing fast tempos and rhythmically free pulses, with Miroslavs arco bass playing sometimes sounding like a third horn in between the two saxophones.