Mountain Call by Miroslav Vitouš, Michel Portal, Jack DeJohnette
Release date: March 27, 2026Label: ECM Records
Co-founder of Weather Report, Miroslav Vitouš spent seven years bringing his ECM release Mountain Call to completion. Recorded between 2003 and 2010, with much of the work taking place at his Universal Syncopation Studio in Prague, the album is a testament to Vitouš’ patience, artistic vision, and refusal to compromise.
While the lengthy recording process may seem daunting, the finished product justifies every moment. Vitouš seamlessly blends the structural elegance of classical music with the freedom and spontaneity of jazz, creating a musical language that feels both timeless and adventurous.
The album features an extraordinary cast of collaborators, including clarinetist and saxophonist Michel Portal, pianist and drummer Jack DeJohnette, saxophonists Bob Mintzer and Gary Campbell, drummer Gerald Cleaver, vocalist Esperanza Spalding, and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. Together, they transform Mountain Call into a sweeping musical landscape filled with grandeur, intimacy, and imagination. The orchestra’s presence elevates the compositions even further, giving Vitouš the expansive palette needed to realise his ambitious vision.
Although both Michel Portal and Jack DeJohnette have since passed away, their performances remain vibrant reminders of their immense artistry. Rather than serving as a farewell, their contributions stand as celebrations of musicians whose creativity continues to inspire.
On ‘Unexpected Solutions’, Portal and Vitouš engage in an expressive call-and-response that shifts effortlessly between mystery and drama. The interplay recalls the exploratory spirit of bebop while hinting at the angular wit of Thelonious Monk. That same adventurous energy carries through ‘New Energy’ and ‘Second Touch’, while ‘On the Way’ evokes images of strolling through the streets of 1950s Paris during the era of the French New Wave, balancing sophistication with understated charm.
DeJohnette’s hypnotic drumming gives ‘Tribal Dance’ a ritualistic pulse that gradually builds into an exhilarating journey. The performance carries echoes of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew period, embracing freedom, texture, and rhythmic exploration without ever feeling derivative.
As the orchestra enters ‘Epilog,’ complete with soaring brass, choir, and thunderous timpani, the music expands into cinematic proportions. Throughout it all, Vitouš anchors the ensemble with commanding double bass work that is both lyrical and forceful, guiding every movement with remarkable authority.
The album’s larger suites provide its emotional and structural backbone. The three-part ‘Evolution’ suite—’Path Begins,’ ‘Nature Opening,’ and ‘Fulfillment’—unfolds with remarkable patience, while the five-part ‘Rhapsody’ suite—’In You,’ ‘Fun & Games,’ ‘Africa,’ ‘In Me,’ and ‘Lullaby’—explores a wide emotional spectrum. These extended works evoke the orchestral imagination of Igor Stravinsky and Arnold Schoenberg while remaining unmistakably rooted in Vitouš’ own musical identity. The music conjures images of the Krkonoše Mountains and the Šumava region of the Czech Republic, landscapes whose grandeur seems reflected in every orchestral crescendo and contemplative passage.
Esperanza Spalding brings warmth and grace to the ‘Rhapsody’ suite through her expressive vocal performances. Her voice blends naturally with Vitouš’s bass, particularly on ‘Fun & Games,’ where playful melodic exchanges create an effortless sense of joy.
On ‘Africa,’ her vocals weave through the ensemble with fluid elegance, adding mystery and emotional depth while enriching the rhythmic foundation. Her presence never overshadows the ensemble; instead, it becomes another essential colour within Vitouš’s carefully crafted musical canvas.
Part avant-garde, part free jazz, and part contemporary classical music, Mountain Call is among the most ambitious projects in Miroslav Vitouš’s distinguished career. It demands patience and careful listening, but those willing to immerse themselves in its expansive world will discover an album of remarkable beauty, complexity, and emotional resonance.
Rather than offering easy melodies or immediate gratification, Vitouš invites listeners on a deeply rewarding journey through landscapes of sound where improvisation, orchestral grandeur, and lyrical expression coexist in perfect balance. It is a bold artistic statement that reaffirms his place among jazz’s most visionary composers and bassists, while standing as one of ECM’s most compelling large-scale releases.
