With John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, and Jack DeJohnette, this group rivaled the best fusion bands of the day. It must have been an intimidating challenge for a young Czech bassist to lead such a group on his debut album as a frontman, especially since he composed five of the six tracks. Recorded a year after the historic Bitches Brew and the year before Vitous began a stint with the innovative Weather Report, this was trend-setting fusion. It's produced by Herbie Mann, for whom Vitous played on such albums as Memphis Underground and Stone Flute.

Alfred Schnittke seems to have encountered a renaissance with the solo piano late in life. Until the mid-1980s, he had written only one piano sonata, sometime in the '50s, and he eventually discarded it. But in 1987 Schnittke composed a First Piano Sonata of sizable scope for friend and pianist Vladimir Feltsman; shortly afterwards materialized Schnittke's Second and Third Piano Sonatas. This CD presents all three together.