Dave Holland: Another Land
Edition Records

Another Land won't dislodge Extensions from its position as my favourite Dave Holland-with-Kevin Eubanks recording, but the legendary bassist's new trio set definitely rewards attention. Among other things, it's fascinating to hear how the two sound more than three decades after that earlier coupling, though the personnel on the two releases is otherwise different, with Obed Calvaire in the drum chair helmed by Marvin “Smitty” Smith on the ECM release and Steve Coleman absent. That Holland is playing at such a high level after so many decades is itself deserving of applause. (For the record, Eubanks also reunited with Holland on his 2013 release Prism, with Eric Harland and Craig Taborn the others involved.)

If Holland, Eubanks, and Calvaire sound particularly locked-in, it might have something to do with the fact that the three developed the material via live performance before entering the studio. The Guardian's description of the shows as a “blues-fueled inferno summoning the spirit of Hendrix” doesn't truly capture the essence of Another Land, however, as the studio takes are as funky as bluesy (though the balance clearly shifts to blues for the album-closing “Bring It Back Home”), and if there's a spirit Eubanks is summoning, it's Eubanks himself, not his long-departed predecessor. On both bass guitar and double bass, Holland is his usual formidable self, an unfailingly versatile player as able to provide unerring foundation as fluid counterpoint to his partners.

While it's Holland's date, the writing's shared by all three, the bassist and guitarist credited with four tunes apiece and Calvaire one. Characteristic of Eubanks' writing, “Grave Walker” serves up a deliciously funky groove with Holland and Calvaire expertly navigating the changes and the guitarist doling out greasy rhythm accents and bluesy lead lines. A warm bass solo settles things down ever-so-briefly before the churning pulse starts percolating all over again, with Eubanks roaring across the tight groove like a steamroller. Soothing by comparison is Holland's title track, which unspools with the suave elegance of a smoke ring. A hypnotic bass ostinato lends the performance a dreamy, even mystical quality, which his partners extend with textural shadings and brushed drums. Texture is central to “20 20” also, with the three switching gears rapidly as the performance oscillates between subdued interplay and snarling, blues-drenched statements by the guitarist.

Elsewhere, Calvaire's “Gentle Warrior” swings in 5/4, with the trio executing its African folk-inflected groove at a controlled pitch before intensity builds and the playing grows ever more aggressive. Whereas “Quiet Fire” presents an appealing solo spotlight for Eubanks, the guitarist strafes “Mashup” with chunky rhythm accents in a cut reminiscent in feel and style of “Grave Walker.” Recorded over two days last September, Another Land is the trio's debut outing, and the evidence clearly argues Holland would be wise to keep the project going. That the bassist continues to make such vital and forward-thinking music at the age of seventy-four is both inspiring and cause for celebration.

June 2021