Music of Dave Holland

In July 1968, Miles Davis happened to listen in on a performance by jazz bassist Dave Holland at London's Ronnie Scott's club. Impressed by what he saw, Davis asked Holland to move to New York and join his band. Holland spent the next two years on tour with Davis and recorded on classic Davis albums In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew. Holland subsequently formed the group Circle with Chick Corea, Anthony Braxton, and Barry Altschul, and continued to work with such jazz notables as Thelonious Monk, Stan Getz, and Sam Rivers.

In the 1980s, Holland was part of several jazz combos and taught at NEC. He currently leads a quintet, and won a Grammy Award for the Dave Holland Big Band's album Overtime (2005). Holland also performs on Herbie Hancock's Grammy winner River: The Joni Letters (2007). Holland's 2010 Octet recording Pathways is currently nominated for a Grammy.

Awarded an honorary degree by NEC in spring 2004, that fall Holland began a twice-yearly series of residencies in which he shares the many dimensions of his activity as soloist, composer, bandleader, and all-round musician.

In tonight's concert, NEC student ensembles coached by Dave Holland will perform his music.