Dave Holland

Dave Holland — aka David Holland (born Oct. 1, 1946) — is an English double-bassist, composer, and bandleader from Wolverhampton. He initially backed pianist Roy Budd on a trio of 1967/68 albums on Pye, followed by a stint with Miles Davis on the albums Filles De Kilimanjaro and In a Silent Way. During the early 1970s, Holland backed the likes of Chick Corea, Eric Kloss, and Joe Farrell. He debuted as a bandleader with the 1973 ECM release Conference of the Birds.

Background

David Holland was born Oct. 1, 1946, in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England. He lived with his mother, grandparents, and uncle, who showed him ukulele chords at age four or five. Holland also picked out songs on a piano in the family home and received a guitar from his mother for his tenth birthday. At 13, he joined school friends in a local group and moved to bass guitar when the ensemble needed a bassist.

Early Gigs

At 15, Holland left school after joining Steve Brett and the Mavericks, a Wolverhampton beat group that worked Midlands dance halls and clubs. By October 1963, The Mavericks held a resident spot on ATV program For Teenagers Only. He also backed visiting American performers Chet Atkins and Jerry Lee Lewis on Midlands engagements. Holland encountered jazz through Oscar Peterson records with bassist Ray Brown and two albums by Leroy Vinnegar, then bought a plywood double bass and learned parts directly from records.

Holland lost a proposed Hamburg engagement because club contracts required performers to be 18. He accepted a three-month double-bass job with a northern resort big band and learned sight-reading from a 300-song band book. American singer Johnnie Ray then hired him for a four-week tour through Britain and Ireland. A Greek saxophonist from the Ray band recruited Holland for a six-night-a-week restaurant job in London, and Holland moved to the capital in 1964.

Holland studied double bass in London with James Merrett, principal bassist of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Merrett recommended him for a three-year performance course at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where Holland entered on scholarship in autumn 1965 as a full-time student. By his second year, Holland served as principal bassist in the school orchestra. He spent part of 1966 in an all-Bartók orchestra program, an experience that shifted his career plan from studio employment toward jazz. Pianist Pat Smythe recruited him soon afterward for work at Ronnie Scott’s in Soho.

Sideman Credits

Holland backed visiting saxophonists Coleman Hawkins and Joe Henderson at Ronnie Scott’s while he entered London modern-jazz and free-improvisation circles. Pianist Roy Budd employed him on the 1967 Pye albums Pick Yourself Up!!! This Is Roy Budd and Roy Budd Is “The Sound of Music.” The Roy Budd Trio also recorded the January 1968 live set Roy Budd at Newport. Spontaneous Music Ensemble recorded Holland with guitarist Derek Bailey, soprano saxophonist Evan Parker, trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, and percussionist John Stevens on Feb. 18, 1968, at Olympic Sound Studios in London.

In July 1968, Holland played in Pat Smythe’s quartet behind singer Elaine Delmar at Ronnie Scott’s, where they shared the bill with the Bill Evans Trio. Miles Davis heard Holland at the club and relayed an invitation through drummer Philly Joe Jones. Jack Whitmore, manager for Davis, confirmed the offer three weeks after the club visit and summoned Holland to Count Basie’s club in Harlem. Holland relocated to New York in early August and joined Davis without a rehearsal. Davis recorded Holland and Chick Corea on Sept. 24 for “Frelon Brun” and “Mademoiselle Mabry,” two tracks issued on Filles de Kilimanjaro. Davis retained Holland through 1970 for In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew.

Circle 

Holland and Corea left the Davis group in late 1970 and formed Circle with reedist Anthony Braxton and drummer Barry Altschul. Circle relocated to Europe for an extended run of concerts, while Holland added cello to his working instruments. Holland met ECM founder Manfred Eicher through the European activity and recorded A.R.C. with Corea and Altschul at Tonstudio Bauer. Bassist Barre Phillips joined him in February 1971 for the ECM duo album Music from Two Basses.

Circle returned to the United States in summer 1971 and dissolved near the end of the year. Stan Getz hired Holland soon after his move back to New York around Christmas. Barry Altschul brought him into sessions with saxophonist Sam Rivers at Studio RivBea, where Holland began a working relationship that continued through the decade. Eicher then asked Holland for more ECM material. Holland wrote new pieces for Rivers, Braxton, and Altschul and combined them with unrecorded Circle compositions. The quartet rehearsed the program at Studio RivBea for a November 1972 ECM session.

Discography:

• Where Fortune Smiles (1971 • John McLaughlin, John Surman, Karl Berger, Stu Martin & Dave Holland)
• A.R.C. (1971 • Chick Corea, David Holland & Barry Altschul)
• Music From Two Basses (1972 • David Holland / Barre Phillips)
• Conference of the Birds (1973 • David Holland Quartet)
• Gateway (1975 • John Abercrombie, Dave Holland & Jack DeJohnette)
• All Kinds of Time (1976 • Karl Berger & Dave Holland)
• Dave Holland & Sam Rivers, Vol. 1 (1976 • Dave Holland & Sam Rivers)
• Dave Holland & Sam Rivers, Vol. 2 (1976 • Dave Holland & Sam Rivers)
• Gateway 2 (1977 • John Abercrombie, Dave Holland & Jack DeJohnette)
• Rendez-Vous (1977 • Sam Rivers & Mario Schiano With Dave Holland & Barry Altschul)
• Emerald Tears (1978)
• Jumpin’ In (1983)
• Life Cycle (1983)
• Seeds of Time (1985 • Dave Holland Quintet)
• The Razor’s Edge (1987 • Dave Holland Quintet)
• Triplicate (1988 • Dave Holland Trio)
• Extensions (1990 • Dave Holland Quartet)
• Question and Answer (1990 • Pat Metheny, Dave Holland & Roy Haynes)