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