"The Modern Quintet"
Dave Holland Quintet
Sunday, March 18 • 7pm
$58
$38
$32
$25
“Jazz’s premier modern bassist” – The New Yorker
Program Notes
2007 marks the ten-year anniversary of the Dave Holland Quintet. In that decade, the group has been a fixture on international live stages, recorded five albums, and garnered a host of accolades. This past year, Holland hit a critical trifecta: he topped DownBeat's Readers Poll as Bassist of the Year (an honor he receives regularly), and his two groups, the quintet and big band, ranked number one as well.
Part of the quintet's success can be attributed to its consistent lineup of musicians. Drummer Nate Smith replaced longtime Holland drummer Billy Kilson on last year's Critical Mass, but Robin Eubanks, Chris Potter, and Steve Nelson have been with Holland since the recent turn of the century, and also serve as the bedrock for his aforementioned big band. Like one of his mentors, Miles Davis, Holland allows plenty of room in his compositions and arrangements for his renowned sidemen to stretch their improvisational talents.
The British-born Holland joined Davis' band in ’68, at the dawn of Miles' electric period, and appeared on the landmark albums In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew. His musical training up to that point was a mix of classical studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and steady gigging in London with the likes of Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, and Joe Henderson. Post Miles, Holland and keyboardist Chick Corea joined with reedman Anthony Braxton and drummer Barry Altschul to form the short lived but influential band Circle. He also formed a trio, Gateway, with two other Davis alumni, guitarist John Abercrombie and drummer Jack DeJohnette. Throughout the latter third of the 20th century his tireless work ethic and eclectic interests saw him join forces with some of the most revered names in modern jazz: Stan Getz, Hank Jones, Sam Rivers, Betty Carter, Steve Coleman, Pat Metheny, and Geri Allen.
"At this stage in my life I feel like I've created a foundation I can build on, and that gives me lots of options," he said in a recent DownBeat interview. "If you remain curious about things—and I mean all things, not just music—the learning process doesn't have to end. That's the way I see myself living the rest of my life."
Personnel:
- Dave Holland, bass
- Robin Eubanks, trombone
- Chris Potter, soprano, alto & tenor saxophones
- Steve Nelson, vibraphone
- Nate Smith, drums
Charles and Roberta Katz
