It's been 5 years since the concluding studio tape past times Dave Holland's quintet. But betwixt touring on its ain together with as the essence of Holland's big band, which was responsible for the outstanding Overtime (Dare2, 2005), the unit of measurement shows no sign of slowing down. Critical Mass proves that when the chemical scientific discipline is right, fifty-fifty longstanding bands tin give the axe overstep away on to improve past times introducing novel elements, without forgetting what made them neat inwards the firstly place.
The quintet has been together for some a decade amongst precisely ii changes. Saxophonist Chris Potter, who replaced Steve Wilson later Points of View (ECM, 1998), chop-chop evolved a virtually telepathic link amongst trombonist Robin Eubanks that has been 1 of the quintet's signatures. Despite the trace organisation nearly drummer Billy Kilson leaving the grouping over ii years ago, newcomer Nate Smith has already proven that patch his overall approach is lighter, he's as capable. Critical Mass is his firstly recording amongst the group, together with there's been no loss of chemical scientific discipline or distinct identity.
Always a democratic leader, The Netherlands has in 1 trial once again encouraged everyone to contribute compositionally. The leader wrote one-half of the album's viii tunes, the other players 1 melody apiece. The group's audio has ever been defined past times its unique instrumentation: in that location isn't a audio similar it anywhere else. Steve Nelson's vibes together with marimba supply a chordal foundation for a trombone/saxophone front end line. But fifty-fifty a unique textural conception tin give the axe grow tiring later a number of years, together with it's to these musicians' credit that this quintet remains as vital as ever.
Holland's "The Eyes Have It opens the disc on a familiar note; the bassist together with drummer's inescapable groove makes fifty-fifty the most complicated bar shifts experience natural. Potter gets improve amongst each passing year, employing the perfect combination of melodic excogitation together with passionate energy. But it's later Holland's solo, where Potter empathically solos inwards tandem amongst an as intuitive Eubanks, that we're reminded of this group's existent magic.
The Netherlands revisits the Middle Eastern vibe of Points of View's "Bedouin Trail, but "Secret Garden feels to a greater extent than authentic, the number of Smith's rhythmic nonetheless textural approach, patch Eubanks' "Full Circle proves that it's possible to swing inwards whatever fourth dimension signature.
But the existent surprise is saved for last. Nelson's ain records holler for keep been decidedly mainstream efforts. On "Amator Silenti he's written an episodic composition that goes from a rubato tone poesy form to a lyrical ballad to angular costless play, together with that's something novel for the quintet. After edifice to a fever pitch, it ultimately returns to its to a greater extent than melodic beginning.
Proof that it's possible to retain one's identity patch breaking novel ground, Critical Mass continues a streak of winning records for The Netherlands that shows no sign of letting up.
Bassist extraordinaire Dave The Netherlands believes that similar fine wine, music shouldn't live unbottled earlier its time. The Netherlands together with his highly regarded quintet spent a yr together with a one-half honing together with retooling the music on their novel album until it reached the holler for he calls "critical mass, where "it has larn what it's going to be.
That patience, aid together with commitment to getting things correct is evident throughout Critical Mass. This is the travel of a working band, a grouping amongst 5 distinct, creative personalities that's been together almost inwards its entirety—with the exception of novel drummer Nate Smith—for nearly a decade. Under Holland's generous leadership, each fellow member of the quintet gets enough of room to solo together with contribute his ain ideas to the mix. Each also contributes an master composition, to overstep away along amongst 4 from Holland.
The number is some of the most exciting, serious jazz around, a superbly crafted mix of the mainstream together with the avant-garde, the cerebral together with the swinging. From Holland's hypnotic, Middle Eastern-influenced "Secret Garden to the exploratory funk of Robin Eubanks' "Full Circle, the grouping exhibits impressive passion, cohesion together with sense of adventure. In a band filled amongst stars, Chris Potter stands out for his tour de strength saxophone work, weaving edgy, serpentine lines inwards a higher house Eubanks' steady, to a greater extent than laid-back trombone. Longtime The Netherlands cohort Steve Nelson in 1 trial again shines on vibes together with marimba; Nelson wrote the album's most challenging tune, the evocative "Amator Silenti.
This item lineup of Dave Holland's longstanding quintet had manifestly been working for 18 months prior to recording this disc, together with that unproblematic fact oozes out of every complaint played. There is a marking of cohesion together with empathy hither that arguably tin give the axe come upward precisely from such longstanding associations.
The Netherlands is anything but despotic inwards his leadership responsibilities, together with every fellow member of the grouping gets a composer's credit here. The number is a multifariousness of approaches that makes for rewarding listening, together with in that location is an object lesson inwards this for countless other groups working inwards this modern mainstream field.
In add-on to Holland's bass, the musical rhythm department is rounded out past times Steve Nelson, principally on vibes, though he makes some telling contributions on marimba, together with drummer Nate Smith. They give the music an airy, possibly understated quality, at times taking inwards earthy funk inwards a satisfyingly contradictory way, patch Robin Eubanks' trombone takes the music inwards the same direction. The resulting residuum is downwards solely to the musical personalities of the players involved.
This is possibly best exemplified on Holland's "Easy Did It," where for in 1 trial a championship is apt for all the correct reasons. Chris Potter plays soprano sax here, together with his travel on that horn has arguably greater grapheme than his tenor playing. While he doesn't approach the individuality of, say, Steve Lacy on the at nowadays horn, he does holler for keep an particular grasp of tonal nuance.
There's an awful lot of music inwards this vein out in that location at the moment, together with whilst it's ever faultlessly played, it tin give the axe live a niggling wearing having to essay together with set soloists through complaint patterns alone. There is no such trace organisation here, which makes this disc a rarity. The soloists holler for keep identities of their ain together with there's zip inwards the agency of the commons overstatement here. What emerges instead is the impression of a band mining a rich musical seam amongst science together with aplomb.
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Track listing:
1 "The Eyes Have It" (Dave Holland) - 7:00
2 "Easy Did It" (Dave Holland) - 11:16
iii "Vicissitudes" (Chris Potter) - 9:56
4 "The Leak" (Nate Smith) - 5:42
5 "Secret Garden" (Dave Holland) - 8:42
vi "Lucky Seven" (Dave Holland) - 8:35
vii "Full Circle" (Robin Eubanks) - 12:11
8 "Amator Silenti" (Steve Nelson) - 9:17
Personnel:
Chris Potter - tenor & soprano saxophones
Robin Eubanks - trombone
Steve Nelson - vibraphone, marimba & tambourine
Dave The Netherlands - double bass
Nate Smith - drums
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