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. - David R. Adler
Tracks
01. Epilogue
02. Transformation
03. Atlantis Suite; Emergence of the Spirit
04. Atlantis Suite; Matter and Spirit
05. Atlantis Suite; The Choice
06. Atlantis Suite; Destruction Into Energy
07. Wheel of Fortune (When Face Gets Pale)
08. Regards to Gershwin's Honeyman
09. Alice in Wonderland (Sammy Fain/Bob Hilliard)
10. Morning Lake for Ever
11. Variations on Spanish Themas
MIROSLAV VITOUS double bass
All music composed by Miroslav Vitous except (9) by Sammy Fain and Bob Hilliard
Recorded September 1985 at Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg
ECM Records - ECM 1312 / ECM Records - 827 855-2