Jazz Articles about Dave Holland

Dave Holland Quintet: Not For Nothin'

by AAJ Staff
September 1, 2001

Usually, records led by bassists rely on a rock-solid rhythm section. Not For Nothin', Dave Holland's latest quintet effort, certainly presents no exception to this rule. However, the magic behind this disc comes from the fact that every musician plays in the rhythm section at times, and every player also contributes to melody and harmony as well. It's a rare, organic integration of roles. And the pieces fit together very nicely.

Dave Holland has been all the way through the ...

Dave Holland Quintet: Not For Nothin'

by Mark Corroto
September 1, 2001

Drawing a musical map clarifies the lineage of bands and places them in history. Dave Holland’s Quintet can be traced directly to Miles Davis’ ‘second great quintet’ of Davis/Shorter/Carter/Hancock/Williams. In 1968, Holland, then a young bassist of 21 years, was playing with former Miles Davis pianist Bill Evans and future Davis drummer Jack DeJohnette. Miles asked him to replace the departing Ron Carter. Holland’s tenure with Miles (and Evans) bridged both post-bop modal music and jazz-fusion. He later left Miles ...

Miles Davis: The Complete In A Silent Way Sessions

by Jim Santella
August 1, 2001

Three previously unissued performances and six months of Miles Davis' recording activity mark this 3-CD set as something special. This was a transitional time for the bandleader. It marked the beginning of a fusion. The package documents this period very well. Davis wanted a new sound. With several keyboards and significant changes in personnel, he got it. The trumpeter introduced his musical changes gradually. The more radical shift would come later. These sessions are pleasant and full of intrigue. In ...

Stan Getz: My Foolish Heart "Live" at the Left Bank

by Matthew S. Robinson
August 1, 2001

Opening with a snappy “Invitation," this newly-found home recording shows off what producer Joel Dorn calls “prime Getz." Rodgers and Hart’s “Spring is Here" wafts and splashes through a fragrant rain chilled by Jack DeJohnette’s shivery brush work, but Jack sharpens the tempo for Chick Corea’s “Litha," sparking Stan and Richie Beirach to burning life. This is not another “Desafinado" compilation. This is Getz cookin’ it up with a team of name’ players. Dave Holland’s bouncy upright runs are electric ...

Miles Davis: The Complete In A Silent Way Sessions

by Todd S. Jenkins
June 1, 2001

Another Miles classic re-excavated with grand results. In A Silent Way was an astonishing step further towards a fusion of jazz and rock for Miles Davis, and for jazz in general, when it was released in 1969. The acoustic instruments of Davis, Wayne Shorter, Dave Holland and Tony Williams were combined with John McLaughlin’s electric guitar, Joe Zawinul’s organ, and the twin electric pianos of Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock. Each LP side held a medley of two themes. Miles’ ...

Dave Holland: A Weekend of Bass

by Dave Roberts
May 1, 2001

There may be no instrument that is more vital yet less heralded in a jazz group than the bass. The bass provides much of the rhythmic and harmonic foundation as well as outlining the form. If the bassist is solid, locking in with the drums and piano, everyone else in the group can relax. And often, if the bassist is doing his job correctly, the audience doesn't even notice him. Bass solos are some of the more difficult to pull ...

Stan Getz: Live At The Left Bank

by John Sharpe
October 1, 2000

The story behind how this session came to be is almost as exciting as the recording itself. Baltimore’s Left Bank Jazz Society was formed in 1964 by a group devoted to promoting and preserving jazz in the city. Soon the organization was hosting weekly concerts featuring outstanding local, national, and international jazz performers. In the mid-eighties noted jazz producer Joel Dorn began to follow-up on rumours that these Sunday afternoon concerts had been taped. Well, the rumours were true! Mr. ...