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Avg: 4.5 (39 ratings)
- Date Released: August 29, 2006
- Genre: Jazz
- Style: Contemporary
- Label: Dare2 Records / Sunnyside Records
One of the great modern bandleaders and bassists in an unexpectedly optimistic outing.
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We Say...
Long tuned into to the avant-garde but not of it, always open to new and non-Western rhythms yet loyal to jazz first, bassist Dave Holland was leading the modern mainstream field before the term was a twinkle in some taxonomist's four eyes. For over 20 years, he's also been a staunch advocate of the collaborative, multigenerational working-band approach. Even a casual listen to his quintet's first album with new drummer Nate Smith will reveal that this is no pickup band — saxophonist Chris Potter and trombonist Robin Eubanks bounce off each other with the ease of prime-era Lewis and Martin, and the responsive rhythm section sounds made up as much of virtuoso listeners as virtuoso players. As usual, Holland shares compositional duties with the sidemen, and favors muscular ostinatos placed beneath urbane melodies. Critical Mass is sunnier than most previous Holland quintet outings — optimism even prevails on the New Orleans-inspired blues, "Easy Did It," a highlight along with Potter's "Vicissitudes," on which Steven Nelson, the group's ace in the hole, builds a sterling marimba solo around almost childlike three-note sequences.
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They Say...
One word that comes to mind when listening to Critical Mass is generosity. Double-bassist Dave Holland, four decades into his career, could certainly be forgiven for taking the word "leader" at its literal meaning, calling all the shots and keeping his musicians at bay. But that's not what he's about, and at any given time Critical Mass could just as easily have been credited to saxist Chris Potter, trombonist Robin Eubanks, vibist/marimbaist Steve Nelson, or drummer Nate Smith. Each player is provided with ample moments in which to take charge, and not fleeting, gratuitous moments but rather significant chunks of solo/lead space. Holland's belief in sharing extends to the area of composition as well. Each bandmember contributes one piece to the album (Holland does claim the other four, however) and, more often than not, uses that opportunity to shapeshift, to push the band -- and make no mistake, this is a band, not a random collection of studio players -- into unexplored territory. That's not to say that Holland takes a back seat -- his presence is always strongly felt -- only that he recognizes that the bass is, first and foremost, a support instrument and he's content with using it as such when the piece calls for it. When he does step in to take the leadership role, he is endlessly creative, commanding in his ability to sidestep predictability and further his own legend. The particular mix of instrumentation here allows for numerous rhythmic and tonal variations as well: on the album's longer pieces, in particular -- Eubanks' exploratory "Full Circle," Holland's appropriately hypnotic "Easy Did It," Nelson's multi-hued "Amator Silenti" -- the quintet's cohesiveness and utmost respect for one another becomes clearer by the minute.
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You Say...
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| 01. |  |
The Eyes Have It |
7:00 |  |
| 02. | |
Easy Did It |
11:17 | |
| 03. | |
Vicissitudes |
9:58 | |
| 04. | |
The Leak |
5:45 | |
| 05. | |
Secret Garden |
8:42 | |
| 06. | |
Lucky Seven |
8:36 | |
| 07. | |
Full Circle |
12:15 | |
| 08. | |
Amator Silenti |
9:17 | |
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Credits
- Robin Eubanks - Trombone // Robin Eubanks - Group Member // Greg Calbi - Mastering // James Farber - Engineer // Steve Nelson Quartet - Marimba // Steve Nelson Quartet - Tambourine // Steve Nelson Quartet - Vibraphone // Steve Nelson Quartet - Group Member // Christopher Drukker - Package Design // Anthony Ruotolo - Assistant Engineer // Niklaus Troxler - Cover Art // Louise Holland - Producer // Damien de Clerck - Release Coordinator // Ulli Gruber - Photography // Garrett Shelton - Release Coordinator // Nate Smith - Drums // Nate Smith - Group Member
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