Leading one of the best and most burning jazz groups in the world, bassist/leader extraordinare Dave Holland continues in the free-funk-jazz vein that marked 1998's excellent Points Of View.
Like the classic proving-ground groups of the '60s, which no longer exist due to lack of any jazz "circuit," Holland's quintet is an exceptionally fine-tuned and well-oiled unit, playing with great dynamic range and improvisational virtuosity. Not that their technique overshadows the music, though. Each member contributes tunes, but the band is so joined at the hip that they all sound as if they were written by the same composer. Melodies dart, double, and duel courtesy of trombonist Robin Eubanks, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, and saxophonist Chris Potter, while drummer Billy Kilson lays down what are basically refined funk beats. The band can swing, but in a linear fashion that is more James Brown-funk than Miles Davis-bop.
This is jazz grounded in the past but without the retro trappings, integrating contemporary rhythms with bop-laced melodies.
All recordings written by D. Holland courtesy of ECM Records and Lojac Music (BMI).
