David Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English double bassist, bass guitarist, cellist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States since the early 1970s.

His extensive discography ranges from solo performances to pieces for big band. Holland runs his own independent record label, Dare2, which he launched in 2005.

Biography

Born in Wolverhampton, England, Holland taught himself how to play stringed instruments, beginning at four on the ukulele, then graduating to guitar and later bass guitar. Holland recorded several important albums with Anthony Braxton between 1972 and 1976 – including New York, Fall 1974 (1974) and Five Pieces (1975) – that were released on Arista Records.

Holland also recorded duo sessions with saxophonist Sam Rivers and fellow bassist Barre Phillips, and the solo bass album Emerald Tears.

Holland has received honorary doctorates from the New England Conservatory, Boston, where he held a full-time teaching position in 1987–88 and where he has been visiting artist in residence since 2005; Berklee College of Music, Boston; and the Birmingham Conservatoire, in England. He was also named Fellow of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London). From 1982 to 1989, Holland served as the artistic director of the Banff Summer Jazz Workshop through the Banff School of Fine Arts in Alberta, Canada. In addition, he has taught workshops and master classes around the world at universities and music schools and is President of the UK-based National Youth Jazz Collective.

Discography

Albums

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|+

!Year

!Credited artist

!Title

!Label

!Notes

|-

|1973

|Dave Holland Quartet

|Conference of the Birds

|ECM

|

|-

|1978

|Dave Holland

|Emerald Tears

|ECM

|solo bass

|-

|1983

|Dave Holland

|Life Cycle

|ECM

|solo cello

|-

|1984

|Dave Holland Quintet

|Jumpin' In

|ECM

|

|-

|1985

|Dave Holland Quintet

|Seeds of Time

|ECM

|

|-

|1987

|Dave Holland Quintet

|The Razor's Edge

|ECM

|

|-

|1988

|Dave Holland Trio

|Triplicate

|ECM

|

|-

|1990

|Dave Holland Quartet

|Extensions

|ECM

|

|-

|1995

|Dave Holland

|Ones All

|VeraBra

|solo bass

|-

|1996

|Dave Holland Quartet

|Dream of the Elders

|ECM

|

|-

|1998

|Dave Holland Quintet

|Points of View

|ECM

|

|-

|1999

|Dave Holland Quintet

|Prime Directive

|ECM

|

|-

|2001

|Dave Holland Quintet

|Not for Nothin

|ECM

|

|-

|2002

|Dave Holland Big Band

|What Goes Around

|ECM

|

|-

|2003

|Dave Holland Quintet

|Extended Play: Live at Birdland

|ECM

|live in concert, 2xCD

|-

|2005

|Dave Holland Big Band

|Overtime

|Dare2

|

|-

|2006

|Dave Holland Quintet

|Critical Mass

|Dare2

|

|-

|2008

|Dave Holland Sextet

|Pass It On

|Dare2

|

|-

|2010

|Dave Holland Octet

|Pathways

|Dare2

|live in concert at Birdland, N.Y.

|-

|2013

|Dave Holland Quartet

|Prism

|Dare2

|

|-

|2016

|Dave Holland Quartet

|Aziza

|Dare2

|

|-

|2018

|Dave Holland

|Uncharted Territories

|Dare2

|with Evan Parker, Craig Taborn, Ches Smith; 2xCD

|-

|2021

|Dave Holland

|Another Land

|Edition

|trio

|}

Compilation(s)

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Year

!Credited artist

!Title

!Label

!Notes

|-

|2004

|Dave Holland

|Rarum, Vol. 10: Selected Recordings

|ECM

|2xCD

|}

Albums with shared credits

Dates in brackets are the date of release in cases when they took place more than a year after the recording. Credited artists are listed as written on the album cover respectively its credits, but omitting Dave Holland (hence the 'with').

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Year

!Format

!Credited artists or band

!Title

!Label

!Notes

|-

|1970 [1975]

|Quartet

|as Circle with Chick Corea, Anthony Braxton, Barry Altschul

|Circling In

|Blue Note

|

|-

|1970 [1978]

|Quartet

|as Circle with Chick Corea, Anthony Braxton, Barry Altschul

|Circulus

|Blue Note

|

|-

|1970

|Quartet

|as Circle with Chick Corea, Anthony Braxton, Barry Altschul

|Circle 1: Live in Germany Concert

|CBS/Sony Japan

|

|-

|1971

|Quartet

|as Circle with Chick Corea, Anthony Braxton, Barry Altschul

|Paris Concert

|ECM

|

|-

|1971

|Quartet

|as Circle with Chick Corea, Anthony Braxton, Barry Altschul

|Circle 2: Gathering

|CBS/Sony Japan

|

|-

|1971

|Quartet

|with John McLaughlin, John Surman, Stu Martin, Karl Berger

|Where Fortune Smiles

|Dawn

|

|-

|1971

|Trio

|with Chick Corea, Barry Altschul

|A.R.C.

|ECM

|

|-

|1971

|Duo

|with Barre Phillips

|Music from Two Basses

|ECM

|

|-

|1971

|Duo

|with Derek Bailey

|Improvisations for Cello and Guitar

|ECM

|live in concert

|-

|1975

|Septet

|with Norman Blake, Tut Taylor, Sam Bush, Butch Robins, Vassar Clements, Jethro Burns

|Norman Blake/Tut Taylor/Sam Bush/Butch Robins/Vassar Clements/David Holland/Jethro Burns

|HDS

|

|-

|1975

|Trio

|with John Abercrombie and Jack DeJohnette (Gateway)

|Gateway

|ECM

|

|-

|1976

|Duo

|with Sam Rivers

|Dave Holland / Sam Rivers

|Improvising Artists

|

|-

|1976

|Duo

|with Sam Rivers

|Sam Rivers / Dave Holland Vol. 2

|Improvising Artists

|

|-

|1976

|Duo

|with Karl Berger

|All Kinds of Time

|Sackville

|

|-

|1976 and 1986 [1989]

|Quartet

|with Evan Parker, Paul Rutherford and Paul Lovens

|The Ericle of Dolphi

|Po Torch

|

|-

|1977

|Trio

|with John Abercrombie and Jack DeJohnette as Gateway

|Gateway 2

|ECM

|

|-

|1985

|Trio

|with Vassar Clements, John Hartford

|Vassar Clements, John Hartford, Dave Holland

|Rounder

|

|-

|1990

|Trio

|with Hank Jones, Billy Higgins

|The Oracle

|EmArcy

|

|-

|1991

|Duo

|with Steve Coleman

|Phase Space

|DIW

|

|-

|1994

|Trio

|with John Abercrombie, Jack DeJohnette as Gateway

|Homecoming

|ECM

|

|-

|1994 [1996]

|Trio

|with John Abercrombie, Jack DeJohnette as Gateway

|In the Moment

|ECM

|

|-

|1995

|Trio

|with Mino Cinelu, Kevin Eubanks

|World Trio

|Intuition

|

|-

|2003

|Quartet

|with John Scofield, Joe Lovano, Al Foster as ScoLoHoFo

|Oh!

|Blue Note

|

|-

|2009

|Quartet

|with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chris Potter, Eric Harland

|The Monterey Quartet: Live at the 2007 Monterey Festival

|Monterey Jazz Festival

|live in concert

|-

|2010

|Duo

|with Pepe Habichuela

|Hands

|Dare2

|

|-

|2012

|Trio

|with Sam Rivers, Barry Altschul

|Reunion: Live in New York

|Pi

|live in concert

|-

|2014

|Duo

|with Kenny Barron

|The Art of Conversation

|Impulse!

|

|-

|2019

|Trio

|with Zakir Hussain, Chris Potter as Crosscurrents Trio

|Good Hope

|Edition

|

|-

|2020

|Trio

|with Kenny Barron, Johnathan Blake as Kenny Barron/Dave Holland Trio

|Without Deception

|Dare2

|

|-

|2024

|Duo

|with Lionel Loueke

|United

|Edition

|

|-

|2024

|Duo

|with John Scofield

|Memories of Home

|ECM

|

|}

As sideman

With Karl Berger

  • Tune In (Milestone, 1969)
  • Transit (Black Saint, 1986)
  • Crystal Fire (Enja, 1992)
  • Conversations (In+Out, 1994)

With Anouar Brahem

  • Thimar (ECM, 1998), rec. 1997
  • Blue Maqams (ECM, 2017)
  • After the Last Sky (ECM, 2025)

With Anthony Braxton

  • The Complete Braxton (Freedom, 1973), rec. 1971
  • News from the 70s (Musica Jazz/Felmay, 1998), rec. 1971–1976
  • Town Hall 1972 (Trio, 1972)
  • Quartet: Live at Moers Festival (Ring, 1976), rec. 1974
  • Quartet (Avignon) 1974 (Braxton Bootleg, 2011)
  • New York, Fall 1974 (Arista, 1974)
  • Trio and Duet (Sackville, 1974)
  • Five Pieces 1975 (Arista, 1975)
  • The Montreux/Berlin Concerts (Arista, 1977), rec. 1975–76
  • Quartet (Bremen) 1975 (Braxton Bootleg, 2011)
  • Quintet (New York) 1975 (Braxton Bootleg, 2012)
  • Creative Orchestra Music 1976 (Arista, 1976)
  • Dortmund (Quartet) 1976 (hatART, 1991)
  • Quartet (Graz) 1976 (Braxton Bootleg, 2011)
  • Quartet (Berlin) 1976 (Braxton Bootleg, 2013)

With Steve Coleman

  • Rhythm People (The Resurrection of Creative Black Civilization) (Novus/RCA, 1990)
  • Black Science (Novus/RCA, 1991)
  • Rhythm in Mind (Novus/RCA, 1991)

With Chick Corea

  • 1969: Is (Groove Merchant, 1969)
  • 1969: Sundance (Groove Merchant, 1972)
  • 1970: The Song of Singing (Blue Note, 1971)

With Miles Davis

  • Filles de Kilimanjaro (Columbia, 1968)
  • In a Silent Way (Columbia, 1969)
  • Bitches Brew (Columbia, 1969)
  • Miles Davis at Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 (Columbia/Legacy, 2015), rec. with Holland from Jul 1969
  • 1969 Miles – Festiva De Juan Pins (Columbia, 1993), rec. Jul 1969
  • Live in Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2 (Columbia/Legacy, 2013), rec. Jul and Nov 1969
  • Big Fun (Columbia, 1974), rec. with Holland from Nov 1969–Mar 1970
  • Live-Evil (Columbia, 1971), rec. with Holland from Feb, Jun 1970
  • Black Beauty: Live at the Fillmore West (Columbia, 1973), rec. Apr 1970
  • Miles at the Fillmore - Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3 (Columbia/Legacy, 2014), rec. Apr, Jul 1970
  • Live at the Fillmore East, March 7, 1970: It's About That Time (Columbia, 2001), rec. Mar 1970
  • Miles Davis at Fillmore: Live at the Fillmore East (Columbia, 1970), rec Jun 1970

With Robin Eubanks

  • Karma (JMT, 1991)
  • Mental Images (JMT, 1994)

With Herbie Hancock

  • The New Standard (Verve, 1996)
  • River: The Joni Letters (Verve, 2006)

With Billy Hart

  • Enchance (Horizon, 1977)
  • Oshumare (Gramavision, 1985)

With Joe Henderson

  • Black Is the Color (Milestone, 1972)
  • Multiple (Milestone, 1973)
  • So Near, So Far (Verve, 1993)
  • Porgy & Bess (Verve, 1997)

With Eric Kloss

  • To Hear Is to See! (Prestige, 1969)
  • Consciousness! (Prestige, 1970)
  • One, Two, Free (Muse, 1972)

With Dave Liebman

  • First Visit (Philips, 1973)
  • Fire (Jazzline, 2018) – rec. 2016

With Joe Lovano

  • From the Soul (Blue Note, 1992)
  • Trio Fascination: Edition One (Blue Note, 1997)

With Sam Rivers

  • Sizzle (Impulse!, 1975)
  • The Quest (Red, 1976)
  • Paragon (Fluid, 1977)
  • Waves (Tomato, 1978)
  • Contrasts (ECM, 1981)
  • Zenith (NoBusiness, 2019)
  • Ricochet (NoBusiness, 2020)
  • Braids (NoBusiness, 2020)

With Kenny Wheeler

  • Windmill Tilter (Fontana, 1969)
  • Gnu High (ECM, 1975)
  • Deer Wan (ECM, 1977)
  • Double, Double You (ECM, 1984)
  • Flutter By, Butterfly (Soul Note, 1988)
  • Music for Large & Small Ensembles (ECM, 1990)
  • The Widow in the Window (ECM, 1990)
  • Angel Song (ECM, 1997)
  • What Now? (CAM Jazz, 2005)

With others

  • Claudia Acuña, Rhythm of Life (Verve, 2002)
  • George Adams, Sound Suggestions (ECM, 1979)
  • Geri Allen, The Life of a Song (Telarc, 2004)
  • Barry Altschul, You Can't Name Your Own Tune (Muse, 1977)
  • Barry Altschul, Another Time/Another Place (Muse, 1978)
  • Franco Ambrosetti, Tentets (Enja, 1985)
  • Kenny Barron, Scratch (Enja, 1985)
  • Terence Blanchard, Wandering Moon (Sony Classical, 2000)
  • Paul Bley, Paul Bley & Scorpio (Milestone, 1973)
  • Michael Brecker, Tales from the Hudson (Impulse!, 1996)
  • Nick Brignola, Baritone Madness (Bee Hive, 1978), rec. 1977
  • Gary Burton, Like Minds (Concord, 1998)
  • Uri Caine, Toys (JMT, 1996)
  • Baikida Carroll, Shadows and Reflections (Soul Note, 1982)
  • Betty Carter, Feed the Fire (Verve, 1994), rec. 1993
  • James Carter, The Real Quiet Storm (Atlantic, 1995)
  • Vassar Clements, Once in a While (Flying Fish, 1992)
  • Joe Farrell, Joe Farrell Quartet (CTI, 1970)
  • Bill Frisell, With Dave Holland and Elvin Jones (Nonesuch, 2001)
  • Hal Galper, Inner Journey (Mainstream, 1973)
  • Laszlo Gardony, The Legend of Tsumi (Antilles, 1989)
  • Barry Guy and the London Jazz Composers' Orchestra, Zurich Concerts (Intakt, 1988)
  • Jim Hall, Jim Hall & Basses (Telarc, 2001)
  • Roland Hanna, Child of Gemini (MPS, 1971)
  • John Hartford, Morning Bugle (Warner Bros. 1972)
  • Roy Haynes, Birds of a Feather: A Tribute to Charlie Parker (Dreyfus Jazz, 2001) – Grammy nominated
  • Julius Hemphill, The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony (New World, 2021)
  • Mark Isaacs, Encounters, with Roy Haynes (ABC, 1990 & 1995; veraBra, 1991; Gracemusic, 2013)
  • Leroy Jenkins, For Players Only (JCOA, 1975)
  • Lee Konitz, Satori (Milestone, 1974)
  • Charles Lloyd, Voice in the Night (ECM, 1998)
  • Pat Metheny, Question and Answer (Geffen, 1990) (with Roy Haynes)
  • Peter O'Mara, Avenue U (Enja, 1990)
  • Chris Potter, Unspoken (Concord, 1997)
  • Wayne Shorter, Moto Grosso Feio (Blue Note, 1970)
  • Tomasz Stańko, Balladyna (ECM, 1976)
  • Richard Teitelbaum, Muun Music Universe, Vol. 1: The Peace Church Concerts (CMC/India Navigation, 1974)
  • Gary Thomas, While the Gate Is Open (JMT, 1990)
  • Collin Walcott, Cloud Dance (ECM, 1975)

Filmography

Concert films

  • 1992 Renaud Le Van Kim: Miles Davis and Friends (Bravo)
  • 2000 DeJohnette, Hancock, Holland and Metheny Live in Concert
  • 2005 Dave Holland Quintet Live in Freiburg
  • 2008 Herbie Hancock & The New Standard Allstars in Japan (Jazz Door)
  • 2009 Dave Holland Quintet: Vortex
  • 2009 Dave Holland Quintet Live from the Zelt-Musik-Festival, Freiburg 1986
  • 2001 Mike Dibb: The Miles Davis Story (Channel 4)
  • 2004 Murray Lerner: Miles Electric: A Different Kind of Blue (Eagle Rock) about the Isle of Wight Festival 1970

References

  • Official website
  • Dave Holland on ECM's official website, with reviews
  • Dave Hollands ECM recordings on trovar.com
  • Audio Interview with Dave Holland
  • Review of the album Critical Mass from JazzChicago.net
  • Dave Holland: Jazz at the Bass Level, Oregon Music News
  • Dave Holland at All About Jazz
  • Discography on Discogs