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A master of tone and rhythm; bassist, composer, and band leader Dave Holland is now in his fifth decade as a performer. Though he got his big break from Miles Davis - with whom he played during the trumpet legend's epochal Bitches Brew period, and collaborated with the biggest names in jazz - it is Holland's own contributions as leader and composer that have established him as a jazz legend.
Holland's modern ensembles, most notably the Dave Holland Quintet and the Dave Holland Big Band, are responsible for several of the era's most memorable recordings: Not for Nothing, Extended Play: Live at Birdland, What Goes Around and Overtime. With Holland, the band or album may be new, but it's always the same genius.
Pathways marks the recording debut of the Dave Holland Octet. The record is set for a March 23 release, and the players should be familiar to Holland and jazz fans alike: Chris Potter (tenor, soprano), Robin Eubanks (trombone), Steve Nelson (vibes, marimba), and Nate Smith (drums). Added to the front line are other Holland collaborators Antonio Hart (alto saxophone), Alex Sipiagin (trumpet), and Gary Smulyan (baritone saxophone) giving the band a more flexible range of sounds.
“I had always loved the sound of the Duke Ellington small groups, often with a five horn front-line plus the rhythm section," says Holland. “The combination of two brass and three saxes gives access to a wide range of textures and colors and allows a composer to evoke the sound of a big band or create the more intimate sound of a small group."
Holland returned to his favorite New York environment - the legendary Birdland - to record Pathways, capturing this incredible group of improvisers in full flight.
