The Music of Dave Holland
NEC’s Visiting Artist-in-Residence Dave Holland performs with NEC students.
This performance is open to in-person audiences only. A streamed version will be viewable on October 8 at 7:30 p.m. See event listing
Dave Holland | Homecoming
Dave Holland | Walking the Walk
Dave Holland | Lazy Snake
Astghik Martirosyan | Distance
Distance: versts, miles...
divide us; they’ve dispersed us,
to make us behave quietly
at our different ends of the earth.Distance: how many miles of it
lie between us now — disconnected —
crucified — then dissected.
And they don’t know — it unites us.
Marina Tsvetaeva, translated by Elaine FeinsteinDave Holland | Finding the Light
Ensemble
Astghik Martirosyan, voice
Michael Brehm, trumpet
Aaron Kaufman-Levine, alto saxophone
Nick Ryder, tenor saxophone
Rahul Carlberg, piano
Talia Rubinstein, guitar
Dave Holland, bass
Alex Yoo, drumsDave Holland | Ebb and Flow
Dave Holland | A New Day
Dave Holland (lyrics by Norma Winstone) | Dream of the Elders
Dave Holland | The Razors Edge
Dave Holland | Happy Jammy
Ensemble
Yifei Zhou, voice
Ben Mizrach, alto saxophone
Chris Ferrari, tenor saxophone
Nick Biagini, baritone saxophone
Zoe Murphy, trumpet
Joey Dies, trombone
Jacob Britton, vibraphone
Rotem Eylam, guitar
Dave Holland, bass
Nadav Friedman, drumsAbout Dave Holland
Dave Holland
Visiting Artist-in-Residence, Jazz StudiesDave Holland is a renowned bassist, composer and bandleader whose passion for musical expression of all styles and dedication to creating consistently innovative ensembles has propelled a professional career of more than 50 years. A guiding light on acoustic and electric bass, Holland has earned top honors in his field, including multiple Grammy Awards and nominations and the title of NEA Jazz Master in 2017. The bassist’s virtuosic technique and rhythmic feel, informed by an open-eared respect of a formidable spread of styles and sounds, is widely revered and remains much in demand. His playing can be heard on hundreds of recordings, including more than thirty as a leader.
Holland first rose to prominence in groundbreaking groups led by such legends as Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Sam Rivers, Betty Carter, Herbie Hancock and Anthony Braxton—as well as collaborations with the likes of Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Jack DeJohnette, and John McLaughlin. He carries that enviable history with little fanfare and extreme humility; to him what matters most is the immediate musical project at hand. Fittingly, he is today more celebrated for the bands that he continues to assemble, record and perform with—ensembles which range from duos and trios to big bands, and often feature musicians like Steve Coleman, Robin and Kevin Eubanks, Jason Moran, Chris Potter, Eric Harland, Craig Taborn, among many others.
Holland’s recent releases include Without Deception, which reunites him with longtime collaborator Kenny Barron in a trio setting with drummer Johnathan Blake; Good Hope,as the adventurous Crosscurrents Trio with Chris Potter and Zakir Hussain; Uncharted Territories, an expansive and exploratory improvised session with Evan Parker, Craig Taborn and Ches Smith; and most recently Another Land, a trio with Kevin Eubanks and Obed Calvaire.
A Fellow of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, where he studied from 1965-68, Holland has received honorary doctorates from Birmingham Conservatoire in England and both Boston’s Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory and this year from the Royal Academy of Music in London. He served as artistic director for the Banff Centre Jazz Workshop in Alberta, Canada for seven years in the 1980s and is currently an artist in residence at the Royal Academy of Music and New England Conservatory. Recently, Holland was made an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music —a rare honor, as membership is limited to 300 living musicians. www.daveholland.com