Dave Holland Named NEA Jazz Master

June 30, 2016

NEC Visiting Artist-in-Residence, bassist/composer Dave Holland earns nation’s highest honor in jazz.

Announced earlier this month, NEC visiting artist-in-residence, renowned jazz bassist/composer and bandleader Dave Holland has earned the nation’s highest honor in jazz: a 2017 NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) Jazz Masters Award. Holland is one of five individuals recognized for their lifetime achievements and exceptional contributions to the advancement of jazz. Each will receive a $25,000 award and be honored at a tribute concert on Monday, April 3, 2017, produced in collaboration with the Kennedy Center. Other honorees this year include Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ira Gitler, Dick Hyman, and Dr. Lonnie Smith.

Awarded an honorary degree by NEC in spring 2003, Holland subsequently began an ongoing series of residencies at the school in which he shares the many dimensions of his activities as soloist, composer, bandleader, and all-round musician. Most recently, Holland worked with the NEC Jazz Orchestra in April on the music of the late Kenny Wheeler, with whom Holland had an extended collaboration.

In their announcement, the NEA stated:

"Holland is one of the most versatile bassists in jazz, working across different styles seamlessly, from traditional to avant-garde jazz to world and folk music. He is also an accomplished composer and bandleader, bringing together musicians of exceptional talent to perform his intricate compositions. In a career spanning five decades, he has continued to evolve musically with each new project while honing his instantly identifiable sound."

Past NEA Jazz Masters with NEC affiliations include Gunther Schuller, Bob Brookmeyer, Ron Carter, George Russell and Cecil Taylor. More on this

Each year since 1982, the National Endowment for the Arts has conferred the NEA Jazz Masters award. With this new class, the NEA has awarded 145 fellowships to great figures in jazz. More information about the NEA Jazz Masters and the agency’s collection of free jazz content is available here.