Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Dave Holland: Rarum X: Selected Recordings
Dave Holland: Rarum X: Selected Recordings
Getting past that omission, there is a tantalizing assortment of intelligently crafted and lovingly performed music in this showcase, ranging from an austerely angular solo cello piece ("Inception") to a selection from that classic of free jazz, "Conference of the Birds," with the peerless pair of Sam Rivers and Anthony Braxton. Of particular note is "Equality," with a vocal by Cassandra Wilson that sounds superior to anything on Wilson's own last few albums. Based on a musical setting for Maya Angelou's poem of the same title, it deserves to be singled out as a rare example of a perfect synthesis of jazz and poetry. Holland's bass lines show a striking sensitivity to the verbal nuances of Angelou's poetry.
Ten out of the eleven selections are Holland originals, and a few, like "Shifting Sands," make you wonder why they haven't been covered by others. Coleman's various bands shine without stealing fire from the bassist, and vibraphonist Steve Nelson is a particularly smart colorist.
Oddly sequenced so that the selections begin with 1994 and conclude with 1972, this Rarum is a testimony to how mature Holland's art has been for decades. This career retrospective is less a record of a radical stylistic change over the decades than a deepening of a rare musical sensibility. What could be finer?
Track Listing
1. How's Never?, 2. You I Love, 3. Inception, 4. The Balance, 5. Equality, 6. Nemesis, 7. Shifting Sands, 8. Four Winds, 9. Prime Directive, 10. Homecoming, 11. Conference of the Birds
Personnel
Dave Holland
bassDave Holland, John Abercromble, Jack deJohnette, Steve Coleman, Kenny Wheeler, Julian Priester, Steve Ellington, Steve Wilson, Robin Eubanks, Steve Nelson, Cassandra Wilson, Eric Pearson, Gene Jackson, and others.
Album information
Title: Rarum X: Selected Recordings | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: ECM Records
About Dave Holland
Tags
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Become a Sustaining Member
Since 1995, All About Jazz has championed jazz as an art form and supported the musicians who create it. Over three decades, it has grown into one of the world's leading jazz resources, serving hundreds of thousands of readers, musicians, presenters and industry professionals each month.
Help Build the Future of All About Jazz
Your support helps us continue building All About Jazz for the next generation—expanding our editorial coverage, preserving jazz history, developing new community features and creating better ways to discover the music and the people behind it.
Become a sustaining member for as little as $20 per year and you'll immediately enjoy an ad-free experience along with access to subscriber features and future articles for a full year.
Together, we're not simply sustaining All About Jazz—we're building its future. Thank you for being part of the journey.
