Extensions
Dave Holland has commanded such respect at the very top levels of American jazz, thanks only in part to his work, beginning in the late 1960s, withMiles Davisand thenAnthony Braxton,Chick Corea, andSam Rivers. As that list suggests, the Englishman set out on his fascinating jazz voyage with some of the best, and he has managed, as a leader, always to gather instrumentalists who, while not necessarily the best-known names, have consistently been extraordinarily talented. That is sparklingly the case here. On such tracks as "Nemesis," which starts as a fairly straight-ahead, funk-vamp piece, both alto saxophonistSteve Colemanand electric guitaristKevin Eubankselevate the music with stunning performances. The imagination, vigor, and rhythmic variation of their work--not to mention just the sheer amount of music they generate moment to moment--at times beggars comprehension. The music seems to gush and tumble forth from the interior of such tunes. That effect is, perhaps,theHolland hallmark, and it is amply exemplified here.--Peter Monaghan