Celebrated Jazz Bassist, Composer, Bandleader Dave Holland Named Visiting Artist-in-Residence at New England Conservatory

Jazz great Dave Holland has returned to New England Conservatory in a new capacity-as Visiting Artist-in-Residence. The bassist, bandleader and composer, who was a full-time member of the NEC faculty from 1987 to 1990 and was awarded an honorary degree in 2003, is currently in town leading a four-day residency including masterclasses, rehearsals, coaching and a concert. Under terms of the new relationship, he will conduct two such residencies each year, one in the fall semester and one in the spring. The announcement was made by Allan Chase, NEC's Dean of Faculty.

“Dave Holland's renewed relationship with NEC offers an incredible opportunity for our students: a chance to learn from one of the most experienced, versatile, and brilliant jazz musicians in the world today," Chase said.

During Holland's current visit, he will rehearse his music with three student ensembles, give two master classes, and perform with students. The culminating concert will take place Thursday, February 10 at 8 p.m. in NEC's Jordan Hall. This residency is sponsored by Jimmy Earl, himself a jazz bassist and a member of NEC's Board of Visitors.

Both masterclasses and the concert are free and open to the public

Born in England, Holland studied double bass at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he was principal bass in the school orchestra. Simultaneously, he was playing jazz in dance bands and small ensembles. In 1968, he was asked to join Miles Davis's band and toured and recorded with that ensemble for two years. In late 1970, he along with Chick Corea, Anthony Braxton and Barry Altschul founded the group Circle. Subsequently, he worked with Stan Getz, Thelonious Monk and Sam Rivers. In 1975, he and John Abercrombie and Jack DeJohnette formed a trio, Gateway, that continues to perform and tour.

Holland put together his own group for the first time in 1981, assembling a quintet that made three groundbreaking albums, Jumpin' In, Seeds of Time, and The Razor's Edge. It was when he turned 40 in 1987 that Holland disbanded the quintet and decided to make a change in his life: he joined the New England Conservatory faculty, where he stayed for three years. He also taught at the Banff School where he was artistic director of the summer jazz workshop.

The versatile bassist (who also plays cello) has continued to perform both as sideman and leader of various groups including his present quintet. He is also a prolific recording artist. For the last 10 years, his popularity has reached an all-time high and he, his band, and his recordings are regularly voted the best in various readers' and critics' polls.

“Dave composes and performs music which covers the spectrum, from traditional to avant-garde," says NEC Jazz Studies and Improvisation Department chair Ken Schaphorst. “He's comfortable in all styles and has developed an influential and distinctive voice in each setting." In an unusual approach to the masterclasses, Schaphorst reported, Holland, for his current visit, asked to hear all the NEC student jazz bassists individually. “Each one is to prepare a solo piece - improvised, composed or some combination of the two - but he wants to hear a beginning, a development, and an ending."

Dave Holland Residency - New England Conservatory

February 7-10, 2005
Tuesday, February 8, 1 pm
St. Botolph Hall: Masterclass

Wednesday, February 9, 2 pm
St. Botolph Hall: Masterclass

Thursday, February 10, 8 pm
NEC's Jordan Hall: Concert with Student Ensembles

For more information, call the NEC Concert Line at (617) 585-1122 or visit NEC on the web

The oldest independent school of music in the United States, NEC was founded in 1867 by Eben Tourjee. Its curriculum is remarkable for its wide range of styles and traditions. On the college level, it features training in classical, jazz, contemporary improvisation, world and early music. Through its Preparatory School, School of Continuing Education, and Community Collaboration Programs, it provides training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students, adults, and seniors. Through its outreach projects, it allows young musicians to engage with non-traditional audiences in schools, hospitals, and nursing homes-thereby bringing pleasure to new listeners and enlarging the universe for classical music and jazz.

NEC presents more than 600 free concerts each year In Jordan Hall, its world-renowned, 100-year old, beautifully restored concert hall. These programs range from solo recitals to chamber music to orchestral programs to jazz and opera scenes. Every year, NEC's opera studies department also presents two fully staged opera productions at the Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston.

NEC is co-founder and educational partner of “From the Top," a weekly radio program that celebrates outstanding young classical musicians from the entire country. With its broadcast home in Jordan Hall, the show is now carried by more than two hundred stations throughout the United States.