In the sixties Dave Holland studied double bass and cello at the famous Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. In those days he already performed with classical orchestras, avantgarde musicians (Evan Parker) and traditional jazz men including Ronnie Scott, in whose club Miles Davis heard him play for the first time. It was Davis who, at the end of the sixties, plucked Holland from England and he made several legendary jazz albums with him. From that moment on the likable Britton has been one of the very best double bassists in the world. The Dave Holland Quintet was voted Best Acoustic Band by Downbeat Magazine (ánd Holland himself Best Bassist and Jazz Man of the Year). The band boasts a legendary status - each member a famous name in its own right: saxophonist Chris Potter, trombonist Robin Eubanks, vibist Steve Nelson and drummer Nate Smith. There's an emphasis on Holland's compositions, which doesn't mean that it's all about the bandleader. The power of Holland is his capability to give each and every musician enough space to set out on an adventure.
