Dave Holland – Freedom Call

The announcement of the release of a 3-CD or 6-LP box set featuring previously unreleased recordings of Dave Holland’s groups (sextet, quintet, and quartet) captured live is bound to spark keen curiosity and interest, as the British double bassist—who is celebrating his 80th birthday on this occasion—is one of the most compelling contemporary composers and bandleaders.

Having launched his international career in the early 1970s as part of Miles Davis’s electric bands or alongside musicians labeled “free” such as Anthony Braxton and Sam Rivers, he later recruited Steve Coleman and recorded with him in a trio, quartet, quintet, and even as a duo. He then formed groups with musicians whose jazz was more rooted in melody and harmony, and in which the piano or vibraphone played a prominent role.

He composed extensively for these groups, building an original repertoire of remarkable diversity and interest.

So, surrounded by instrumentalists often labeled “hard boppers”—such as alto saxophonist Antonio Hart, Russian trumpeter Alex Sipiagin, and pianist Mulgrew Miller— we hear him here in a sextet, then with tenor and soprano saxophonist Chris Potter and vibraphonist Steve Nelson in a quintet (with Robin Eubanks on trombone in both cases), and finally in a quartet with Kevin Eubanks on guitar and Craig Taborn on acoustic or electric piano.

In all three cases, the drums are played by musicians who take both a rhythmic and melodic approach to the instrument: Eric Harland or Nate Smith. This demonstrates Holland’s knack for surrounding himself with partners who possess superlative technical mastery of their instruments and bring shimmering colors to his compositions, making them major works of contemporary jazz.

True to an aesthetic that has made him one of the most important double bassists of the past six decades—and, aside from his numerous appearances as a sideman, a bandleader and composer with an impressive track record—Dave Holland offers, with this box set of previously unreleased recordings, a fascinating glimpse into his artistry.