JAMES WILLIAMS SEXTET ft. CLARK TERRY - Talkin' Trash (1993) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Although pianist James Williams is the nominal leader of this CD and there is also room for many concise solos from Billy Pierce (mostly on tenor), vibraphonist Steve Nelson and the remarkable bassist Christian McBride, the star throughout is actually flugelhornist Clark Terry. 72 at the time but showing no sign of decline, Terry contributed three of the numbers, sings in his famous Mumbles voice on two humorous pieces (including a preacher routine on "The Orator") and plays quite well throughout. Highpoints of this straightahead session include the boppish "Serenade to a Bus Seat," the uptempo blues "Chuckles" and Terry's spectacular solo on "Moonglow." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Serenade to a Bus Seat 6'04
Clark Terry
2     The Orator (C.T.'s Sermon) 9'11
James Williams
3     Chuckles 5'13
Clark Terry
4     Moonglow 9'59
Eddie DeLange / Will Hudson / Irving Mills
5     Talkin' Trash 7'22
James Williams
6     Lotus Blossom 3'15
Billy Strayhorn
7     Embraceable You 8'00
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
8     Boomerang 6'19
Clark Terry
9     SKJ 9'10
Milt Jackson
Credits :
Bass – Christian McBride
Drums – Tony Reedus
Organ, Piano, Producer – James Williams
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Billy Pierce
Trumpet, Vocals, Flugelhorn – Clark Terry
Vibraphone – Steve Nelson

DAVE HOLLAND QUARTET - Dream of the Elders (1995) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Stylewise, the music on this CD sounds much closer to a mid-'60s Blue Note release than what one might expect from ECM. Although the general sound of the ensembles is light, the music is often filled with inner heat, a little reminiscent of a Wayne Shorter record. Altoist Eric Person and vibraphonist Steve Nelson work well together, bassist Dave Holland takes plenty of solo space, drummer Gene Jackson keeps the momentum flowing and guest vocalist Cassandra Wilson does a fine job on Maya Angelou's poem "Equality." Holland's originals have plenty of variety in moods while close attention is paid to dynamics. A satisfying and thought-provoking session. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 The Winding Way 11:57
Dave Holland
2 Lazy Snake 12:25
Dave Holland
3 Claressence 7:28
Dave Holland
4 Equality 7:08
Lyrics By [Poem] – Maya Angelou
Vocals – Cassandra Wilson
5 Ebb & Flo 11:59
Dave Holland
6 Dream Of The Elders 11:07
Dave Holland
7 Second Thoughts 8:06
Dave Holland
8 Equality 6:40
Maya Angelou / Dave Holland
Credits
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Eric Person
Double Bass – Dave Holland
Drums – Gene Jackson
Vibraphone, Marimba – Steve Nelson

DAVE HOLLAND QUINTET - Points of View (1999) APE (image+.cue), lossless

For Points of View, Holland expands his group into a quintet, shakes up the remaining personnel, and comes up with a marvelous example of thoughtful, dynamically shifting ECM chamber jazz. The new wrinkles in the sound are the return of Robin Eubanks on trombone, which gives the front line a richer, more balanced texture, and drummer Billy Kilson, who displays a wider, more animated range of rhythmic sympathies than did Gene Jackson on Dream of the Elders. Steve Nelson on vibes and marimba is the only returnee, and Steve Wilson contributes a dry tone on both alto and soprano saxes. The elegant textures so typical of ECM belie considerable stylistic variety here, including a gentle reversion to the progressively funky Holland band of the '80s on "Metamorphos"; a happy-go-lucky, easy-swinging tribute to Ray Brown, "Mr. B."; reflective, relaxed ballad work in "The Benevolent One," and Nelson's charming calypso/folk lullaby for marimba, "Serenade." Of course, Holland leaves himself a lot of solo space, which he fills with mobile eloquence. by Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist :
1     The Balance 9:24
Dave Holland
2     Mister B. 11:01
Dave Holland
3     Bedouin Trail 8:55
Dave Holland
4     Metamorphose 8:29
Robin Eubanks
5     Ario 10:24
Dave Holland
6     Herbaceous 9:47
Dave Holland
7     The Benevolet One 7:05
Steve Wilson
8     Serenade 6:49
Steve Nelson
Credits :
Double Bass – Dave Holland
Drums – Billy Kilson
Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Steve Wilson
Trombone – Robin Eubanks
Vibraphone, Marimba – Steve Nelson

DAVE HOLLAND QUINTET - Prime Directive (1999) APE (image+.cue), lossless

You may have to wait a while between Dave Holland-led releases, but it's always worth it. Tremendous taste prevents Holland from making unsatisfying music. He is a great leader in the truest senses of the word -- he gives his team space, trusts their abilities and judgment, yet all the while remains firmly in command and infuses the results with his own style and personality. Prime Directive is a wonderful jazz album. These 77 minutes and nine tracks do not cheat or disappoint. The straight-ahead tunes -- composed by double-bassist Holland and his talented band mates (one each) -- all bear Holland's distinctive rhythmic patterns and harmonics. A fine example is the title track, on which Robin Eubanks on trombone and Chris Potter on saxophones hold a stimulating musical conversation over the rhythm section's driving groove. For listeners who prefer a more deliberate pace, there's the searching, contemplative "Make Believe," with Steve Nelson's lovely vibraphone work appointing the mood. On the hopeful, "A Seeking Spirit," fans will be tapping along to the rhythmic feast offered up by the leader and his pace-setting partner Billy Kilson on drums. The melancholy "Candlelight Vigil" presents Holland at his bowed best. Finally, "Wonders Never Cease" finds the entire band at the height of their collective, improvisational prowess. Prime Directive is recommended; a great leader is, indeed, hard to find. by Brian Bartolini  
Tracklist :
1     Prime Directive 7:42
Dave Holland / Lojac Music
2     Looking Up 13:30
Dave Holland / Lojac Music
3     Make Believe 6:23
Dave Holland / Lojac Music
4     A Searching Spirit 11:19
Robin Eubanks
5     High Wire 6:45
Chris Potter
6     Jugglers Parade 8:11
Dave Holland / Lojac Music
7     Candlelight Vigil 4:48
Lojac Music / Steve Nelson
8     Wonders Never Cease 13:50
Billy Kilson
9     Down Time 3:49
Dave Holland / Lojac Music
Credits :
Double Bass – Dave Holland
Drums – Billy Kilson
Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Chris Potter
Trombone, Cowbell – Robin Eubanks
Vibraphone, Marimba – Steve Nelson

DAVE HOLLAND QUINTET - Not for Nothin' (2001) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Almost two years after the issue of the fine Prime Directive, Dave Holland brings his quintet back intact for another go at his particular brand of elegant jazz-making. One of the finest characteristics of Holland as a leader is his insistence on putting his bandmates out front. Thus, along with the five Holland compositions, there is one each by trombonist Robin Eubanks, saxophonist Chris Potter, vibist Steve Nelson, and drummer Billy Kilson. Eubanks' "Global Citizen" opens the proceedings and Holland soon shifts the first solo to Nelson, who traipses the edges of the rhythm. As the horn players re-enter, the bluesy flavor of bop enters with them and Nelson has to move outside into a Latin vein to keep the tune from making him disappear. Elsewhere, on Holland's "Shifting Sands," he uses three harmonic figures to create an Eastern-tinged mood akin to the folk music of North Africa. The bassist takes the first solo, weaving a subtle cross section of microphonics and open notes in the lower register, before Nelson colors his staccatos with subtle blues and grays as the band kicks in to signal Eubanks and Potter to engage in a tightly wrought but easy-feeling musical conversation. Not for Nothin' is all about compelling music; there isn't a spare or slack moment on the set, but as the band takes it out with the progressive post-boppism of Holland's "Cosmosis," it's clear to see how finely wrought this ensemble is: they anticipate each other even in the studio while playing the chart. There are moments of dovetailing here between Eubanks and Potter where the overlap is so slight yet so profound it could never have been left to chance, only to close listening. And there are spaces within the solos where Kilson signals Holland and then Nelson for a little double timing and opening of the mood to allow for Potter to blow through the changes in the tune before Nelson makes them disappear completely. Whoa! The only regret this reviewer has about Not for Nothin' is that it isn't a double CD. This is postmodern poetic singing at its finest. Who said jazz is a dead art form? Let he or she who has the ears to hear, hear; the Dave Holland Quintet is carrying the banner of creative music in the jazz tradition in the 21st century.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1     Global Citizen 11:13
Robin Eubanks
2     For All You Are 8:19
Dave Holland
3     Lost and Found 9:28
Chris Potter
4     Shifting Sands 5:20
Dave Holland
5     Billows of Rhythm 6:46
Billy Kilson
6     What Goes Around 13:05
Dave Holland
7     Go Fly a Kite 6:13
Steve Allen / Steve Nelson
8     Not for Nothin' 5:54
Dave Holland
9     Cosmosis 6:11
Dave Holland
Credits :
Double Bass – Dave Holland
Drums – Billy Kilson
Executive-Producer – Manfred Eicher
Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Chris Potter
Trombone, Cowbell – Robin Eubanks
Vibraphone, Marimba – Steve Nelson

DAVE HOLLAND BIG BAND - What Goes Around (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As he gained more and more respect and critical recognition in the early years of the 21st century, Dave Holland took a leap and expanded his music outward into a big band format. The word "expanded" is key here, for what Holland has mostly done on What Goes Around is send his quintet format through an expansion process, where there are more pieces in the puzzle, yet the same overall conception of sound remains. All but one of the pieces here are rewrites of earlier, previously recorded selections, dating from 1983 all the way to 2000. All of the charts are composed with a sureness and a grounding in tradition that belies the fact that this is Holland's first big band album. And all maintain the same intelligence in conception, spareness of texture, and crystalline detail, as Holland's small-group recordings for ECM, despite the obvious harmonic elaborations. For example, in "What Goes Around" -- which appeared on Holland's previous album, Not For Nothin' -- the ostinato-driven horizontal structure is basically the same, allowing for some fills by the ensemble, and despite the additional harmonic content, the vertical texture is similar, too. The main difference is that there is more urgency and more tension in the music now, which is most apparent in "The Razor's Edge," "Shadow Dance," and the only new composition, "Upswing." The Dave Holland Big Band includes tenor saxophonist Chris Potter, trombonist Robin Eubanks , vibraphonist Steve Nelson, and drummer Billy Kilson return to form the core of this big band -- as does flute/alto saxophonist Antonio Hart, who toured with Holland's group after these tracks were cut. These and several other players in the big band get plenty of room to solo -- and they do so with taste and occasional fire. This CD marks the addition of another fine big band to the ranks, though it does more for the evolution of Holland's music than for the big band idiom itself. by Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist :
1    Triple Dance 9:50
Soloist – Chris Potter, Gary Smulyan, Robin Eubanks
2    Blues For C.M. 9:01
Soloist – Antonio Hart, Dave Holland, Steve Nelson
3    The Razor's Edge 6:15
Soloist – Duane Eubanks, Josh Roseman, Steve Nelson
4    What Goes Around 17:18
Soloist – Billy Kilson, Chris Potter, Robin Eubanks
5    Upswing 6:51
Soloist – Alex Sipiagin, Gary Smulyan
6    First Snow 11:48
Soloist – Alex Sipiagin, Andre Hayward, Mark Gross
7    Shadow Dance 14:43
Soloist – Billy Kilson, Chris Potter, Dave Holland
Soloist, Flute, Alto Saxophone – Antonio Hart
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Mark Gross
Alto Saxophone, Flute – Antonio Hart
Baritone Saxophone – Gary Smulyan
Double Bass – Dave Holland
Drums – Billy Kilson
Tenor Saxophone – Chris Potter
Trombone – Andre Hayward, Josh Roseman, Robin Eubanks
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Alex Sipiagin, Duane Eubanks, Earl Gardner
Vibraphone – Steve Nelson

DAVE HOLLAND QUINTET - Extended Play : Live at Birdland (2003) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Shockingly, Extended Play is Dave Holland's first live album for ECM, a label he has been associated with for 30 years! Holland's standing quintet -- featuring trombonist Robin Eubanks, saxophonist Chris Potter, drummer Billy Kilson, and vibes and marimba virtuoso Steve Nelson -- are, according to today's jazz standards, a veteran ensemble. On this Birdland date from 2001, they offer ample evidence as to why they are one of the most highly regarded ensembles in the music today. The material on this double-disc collection is, predictably enough, mostly taken from the band's studio releases. But that's where predictability ends. Virtually everything here is in wonderfully extended form, with only one tune clocking in under ten minutes. Eubanks' laid-back, low-register agility and rhythmic intervention are combined with the wonderfully varied melodic sensibilities of Potter, whose melodic and dynamic palette is equally rich, offering a line that is nearly fathomless in its melodic possibilities and providing the necessary off-the-ground sensibility required to front one of the most compelling, intricately threaded, and texturally diverse rhythm sections in jazz. As evidenced by the sprawling opener, "The Balance," a Holland composition, the band is a seemingly inseparable amalgam of soloists, all gathered around shifting tempos, striated harmonics, and a chromatic prism that offers no edges, but a variety of hues and shades that is startling. While the entire performance is stunning in its diversity and consistency of inspiration, discipline, and sheer vision, other standouts do include the polyrhythmic and lyrical brilliance of "Claressence" and the breathtaking set closer, "Metamorphos." If ever there were a contender for jazz record of the year, for 2003, Extended Play is it.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist 1 :
1     The Balance 21:00
Dave Holland
2     High Wire 15:18
Chris Potter
3     Jugglers Parade 18:26
Dave Holland
4     Make Believe 6:42
Dave Holland
5     Free for All 10:18
Dave Holland
Tracklist 2 :
1     Claressence 17:18
Dave Holland
2     Prime Directive 12:59
Dave Holland
3     Bedouin Trail 12:26
Dave Holland
4     Metamorphos 20:10
Robin Eubanks
Credits :
Double Bass – Dave Holland
Drums – Billy Kilson
Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Chris Potter
Trombone, Cowbell – Robin Eubanks
Vibraphone, Marimba – Steve Nelson

DAVE HOLLAND BIG BAND - Overtime (2005) APE (image+.cue), lossless

This exceptional date by Dave Holland Big Band was recorded in 2002 in New York, yet remained unreleased until 2005. As is to be expected, Holland assembled a fine cast of seasoned and young players, some of whom are veterans of Holland's quintets and quartets. These are four saxophones -- two alto, tenor and baritone -- three trumpets and trombones, and vibes as well as bass and drums. They include Chris Potter and Robin and Duane Eubanks, Antonio Hart, Steve Nelson, Josh Roseman, Billy Kilson, Taylor Haskins, Gary Smulyan, Jonathan Arons and Alex Sipiagin. The music centers around the opening four-part "Monterey Suite," a tour de force commissioned by the Monterey Jazz Festival and originally performed there in 2001. Holland's writing for the trombone section is dynamite. Roseman, Arons, and Robin Eubanks offer up solid bottom rung lines and tight timing as anchors for the rest of the brass though they often charge out front. Potter once more displays his talents as not only a fine soloist but as an excellent ensemble player, carrying the chair with authority and verve. The beautiful "Ario" hosts some really knotty and swelling harmonic interludes and the closer, "Last Minute Man," is electrifying, transcending the confines of the studio. This is an essential Holland date, it is exciting, colorful and wildly innovative. Let's hope he composes and records more in this idiom soon.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1     Bring It On 11:58
Dave Holland
2     Free for All 17:37
Dave Holland
3     A Time Remembered 11:45
Dave Holland
4     Happy Jammy 9:36
Dave Holland
5     Ario 11:08
Dave Holland
6     Mental Images 9:22
Robin Eubanks
7     Last Minute Man 7:13
Dave Holland
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Mark Gross
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute – Antonio Hart
Arranged By, Double Bass – Dave Holland
Artwork [Cover Art] – Niklaus Troxler
Baritone Saxophone – Gary Smulyan
Double Bass, Producer – Dave Holland
Drums – Billy Kilson
Tenor Saxophone – Chris Potter
Trombone – Jonathan Arons, Josh Roseman, Robin Eubanks
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Alex "Sasha" Sipiagin, Duane Eubanks, Taylor Haskins
Vibraphone, Marimba – Steve Nelson 

DAVE HOLLAND QUINTET - Critical Mass (2006) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

One word that comes to mind when listening to Critical Mass is generosity. Double-bassist Dave Holland, four decades into his career, could certainly be forgiven for taking the word "leader" at its literal meaning, calling all the shots and keeping his musicians at bay. But that's not what he's about, and at any given time Critical Mass could just as easily have been credited to saxist Chris Potter, trombonist Robin Eubanks, vibist/marimbaist Steve Nelson, or drummer Nate Smith. Each player is provided with ample moments in which to take charge, and not fleeting, gratuitous moments but rather significant chunks of solo/lead space. Holland's belief in sharing extends to the area of composition as well. Each bandmember contributes one piece to the album (Holland does claim the other four, however) and, more often than not, uses that opportunity to shapeshift, to push the band -- and make no mistake, this is a band, not a random collection of studio players -- into unexplored territory. That's not to say that Holland takes a back seat -- his presence is always strongly felt -- only that he recognizes that the bass is, first and foremost, a support instrument and he's content with using it as such when the piece calls for it. When he does step in to take the leadership role, he is endlessly creative, commanding in his ability to sidestep predictability and further his own legend. The particular mix of instrumentation here allows for numerous rhythmic and tonal variations as well: on the album's longer pieces, in particular -- Eubanks' exploratory "Full Circle," Holland's appropriately hypnotic "Easy Did It," Nelson's multi-hued "Amator Silenti" -- the quintet's cohesiveness and utmost respect for one another becomes clearer by the minute. by Jeff Tamarkin  
Tracklist :
1    The Eyes Have It 7:00
Written-By – Dave Holland
2    Easy Did It 11:16
Written-By – Dave Holland
3    Vicissitudes 9:56
Written-By – Chris Potter
4    The Leak 5:42
Written-By – Nate Smith
5    Secret Garden 8:42
Written-By – Dave Holland
6    Lucky Seven 8:45
Written-By – Dave Holland
7    Full Circle 12:11
Written-By – Robin Eubanks
8    Amator Silenti 9:17
Written-By – Steve Nelson
Credits :
Artwork – Niklaus Troxler
Double Bass – Dave Holland
Drums – Nate Smith
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Chris Potter
Trombone – Robin Eubanks
Vibraphone, Marimba, Tambourine – Steve Nelson

DAVE HOLLAND OCTET - Pathways (2010) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With five A-list horn players -- Chris Potter on tenor and soprano saxophones, Antonio Hart on alto sax and flute, Gary Smulyan on baritone sax, Alex Sipiagin on trumpet and flügelhorn, and Robin Eubanks on trombone -- on board, and anchoring supplied by Dave Holland's bass, Nate Smith's drums, and Steve Nelson's marimba and vibes, there's a lot of swing residing within these grooves. There is also empathy to spare. Pathways, recorded live at New York's Birdland and the first release by the Holland Octet, is tightly woven, devoid of bloat, and constantly in motion. Holland, in his multi-decade career, has worked within every conceivable format, and he smartly positions the octet precisely where it should be by definition, midway between the standard small-group configuration and the all-bases-covered grandness of a big band. The arrangements often seem larger than life while simultaneously feeling succinct, and every solo -- not the least of which are Holland's own masterful excursions -- is carefully considered and masterfully executed. The album's seven tracks are all written by bandmembers -- five by Holland, one each by Sipiagin and Potter -- and two of Holland's, "Shadow Dance" and "How's Never?" (both of which he's recorded before), are the longest of the show, allowing for multiple shifts in mood, tempo, and color. Holland uses those pieces, in particular, as launching pads for dynamic solo exhibits and inspired duets, but in the end it's not the dexterity of the individuals that impresses most, but rather the groupthink of the ensemble. by Jeff Tamarkin  
Tracklist :
1     Pathways 10:46
Dave Holland
2     How's Never? 13:03
Dave Holland
3     Sea of Marmara 9:03
Chris Potter
4     Ebb and Flow 10:48
Dave Holland
5     Blue Jean 7:28
Dave Holland
6     Wind Dance 9:10
Alex Sipiagin
7     Shadow Dance 15:06
Dave Holland
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Flute – Antonio Hart
Baritone Saxophone – Gary Smulyan
Double Bass – Dave Holland
Drums – Nate Smith
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Chris Potter
Trombone – Robin Eubanks
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Alex Sipiagin
Vibraphone, Marimba – Steve Nelson