Real name: David Holland
Born: Oct 1, 1946 in Wolverhampton, W. Midlands, England
Genres: Jazz
Styles: Avant-Garde Jazz, Free Jazz, M-Base, Post-Bop
Instruments: Bass

Dave Holland is of a generation of bassists that, in the '60s and '70s, built upon the innovations of slightly-older players like Scott LaFaro, Gary Peacock, and Barre Phillips, carrying the instrument to yet another new level of creativity. Along with contemporaries like Eddie Gomez, Miroslav Vitous, and Barry Guy, Holland helped refine and extend the melodic possibilities of the cumbersome double bass. In Holland's case, those refinements never lost touch with the core verities of straight-ahead jazz; Holland's sense of swing is unexcelled. Additionally, Holland is possibly the most accomplished pure jazz composer among bassists, after Charles Mingus. Holland's small groups in the '80s and '90s, while working firmly within the jazz idiom, presented a fresh alternative to the fusty recreations of the neo-boppers.

Holland started playing ukelele at the age of 4, switching to guitar at 10 and bass guitar at 13. He took some piano lessons as a child, but was at first mostly self-taught, learning from pop music songbooks and by listening to the radio. He played in dance bands with friends. As a teenager he decided to try to make a living as a musician. Under the influence of such jazz bassists as Leroy Vinnegar and Ray Brown, Holland took up the double bass, learning primarily by playing along with records. He began playing professionally shortly thereafter. One of his first gigs was in a big band that toured behind the singer Johnny Ray. Holland studied with James E. Merritt, the principal bassist with the London Philharmonic, who recommended him to the degree program at Guildhall School of Music & Drama. At Guildhall, Holland gained experience in a variety of styles, from orchestral music to New Orleans' jazz to bebop and beyond. In 1966 he began playing with many of the musicians with whom he would collaborate over the next two decades: musicians like the trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, saxophonist John Surman, pianist John Taylor, who were well in-tune with the jazz innovations of the time. Holland acknowledges being influenced by Mingus, LaFaro, Jimmy Garrison, and Gary Peacock at this point in his career. Holland also became interested in many twentieth-century classical composers, especially Bela Bartok. Holland played London clubs with England's top jazz musicians, as well as visiting dignitaries like Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, and Joe Henderson. In July of '68, Miles Davis heard him at Ronnie Scott's and asked him to join his band. Holland promptly relocated to New York and participated in the making of several classic Davis recordings, including In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew. In 1970 he co-founded (with Anthony Braxton, Chick Corea, and Barry Altschul) the group Circle, which embraced free jazz concepts. In the early '70s he played with Stan Getz, Thelonious Monk, and Sam Rivers. In '75 he formed the Gateway trio—with Jack DeJohnette (drums) and John Abercrombie (guitar)—a group which would continue to record and tour intermittently for the next twenty-five years. In the early '80s, Holland worked extensively with Sam Rivers, and organized his own band, a quintet with Wheeler, Julian Priester (trombone), Steve Coleman (alto sax), and Steve Ellington (drums).

Thereafter, Holland-led small groups would continue to tour and record through the end of the century. Later members would include Marvin "Smitty" Smith (drums) and Robin Eubanks (trombone). Although the personnel would vary, the band would ultimately draw its identity from Holland's compositions.

In the '80s and '90s Holland worked as an educator, heading the summer jazz workshop at the Banff School in Banff, Alberta, Canada from 1983 until 1990. From 1987 until 1990 he was a faculty member at the New England Conservatory of Music. Aside from leading his own group, Holland's musical activities in the '90s included projects with DeJohnette, Gateway, and Herbie Hancock. He also recorded with Joe Lovano, Gary Burton, and Jim Hall. Holland's late '90s quartet included Robin Eubanks, Steve Nelson (vibes), Chris Potter (saxophone), and Billy Kilson (drums).

- Chris Kelsey (All Music Guide)