Miroslav Vitous quotes

Miroslav Vitous is a renowned Czech jazz musician. With his exceptional skills as a bassist and composer, he has made a remarkable impact on the international jazz scene. Born in Prague, Vitous emerged as a leading figure during the 1960s and became a founding member of the revolutionary jazz ensemble, Weather Report. He later embarked on a successful solo career, releasing critically acclaimed albums that showcase his versatile musical style. From his virtuosic bass playing to his compositional brilliance, Miroslav Vitous continues to captivate audiences worldwide. Explore the genius of this jazz legend and immerse yourself in his timeless music.

Shop books about Miroslav Vitous

But I have returned to one hundred percent playing this year. I am fully back to playing full time.

- Miroslav Vitous

I was pretty much prepared because I was already playing in extremely good ways when I arrived from Europe because I played jazz four or five years before I arrived here.

- Miroslav Vitous

Miles Davis had me play and he hired me the following week and after that, everything broke wide open.

- Miroslav Vitous

I am a Slavic musician and it is deeply inside of me.

- Miroslav Vitous

I continued studying by myself in the field of jazz with my own technique of improvisation, walking bass lines, rhythms, all kinds of stuff, which I created for myself.

- Miroslav Vitous

There is no roles. No one is keeping any roles. The drummer is also answering everybody and everything. So it is a constant conversation and communication between musicians on an extremely high level with extremely valuable material, motifs, and melodies.

- Miroslav Vitous

The money in the schools overpowers the principles of the purpose.

- Miroslav Vitous

There was the best teachers from the Czech Philharmonic, highly dedicated people, some of the best musicians in the world passing on the knowledge about the country, about the principles, and about the music.

- Miroslav Vitous

So our ears got used to listening to jazz in the place that it was that the bass player could not play. No one really realized it and really addressed it until the bass players who could play their instrument came along and started doing something with it.

- Miroslav Vitous

So I am one of those bass players who can do something and musically, it was back then and now it is even more, if you noticed on the new album, I am not playing all the time anymore.

- Miroslav Vitous

I thought it was time to get a group together and the first person I thought of was Wayne Shorter. I called Wayne and in the meantime, Wayne called me to make an album with him, which was Super Nova.

- Miroslav Vitous

I had a vision how it should sound and I put all my knowledge into this product and it is a fantastic product. People still tell me that I have the best musical thing there.

- Miroslav Vitous

I basically started playing violin at the age of six. That lasted about three years because my previous teacher died and the second teacher didn't really know how to successfully get me going.

- Miroslav Vitous

I was very much fascinated with the technology we had that we could edit in the computer our compositions, but all the sounds that were available on the market were crap.

- Miroslav Vitous

I am more of a solo bass player and he needed somebody who would keep the role.

- Miroslav Vitous

I did extensive, extensive recordings and made a classical CD-ROM set, which is still on the market. For ten years, it was by itself as the cream of the crop of samples.

- Miroslav Vitous

I actually met Chick Corea in New York, where I was staying with a bass player friend.

- Miroslav Vitous

They taught us because they wanted to pass the knowledge on and educate young musicians. It was not because they had to teach because they failed as musicians. There is a huge difference in the reasons why someone is teaching and what they can offer and what they cannot offer.

- Miroslav Vitous

So the whole basis for jazz music is based on the fact that the bass player could not play his instrument.

- Miroslav Vitous

I took it very seriously and got very far with it. I was pretty much on a high level when I arrived.

- Miroslav Vitous

That was really so upsetting when you are trying to pass on some very serious knowledge and be basically, treated worse than a student coming off the street because his father pays the tuition. Come on. Give me a break. This is no school. This is a joke.

- Miroslav Vitous