Swing king

On the phone from New York, between a recording session with pianist Billy Childs and another with Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny, McCoy Tyner, and Jack DeJohnette, Holland talks about what he learned about leading a band from Miles Davis. "I loved the way Miles directed a band. It was with such a gentle hand, but with so much clarity. There was a minimal amount of interference in the group. He very much allowed people to play, let their natural personalities come through, but he always gave the music a focus and a direction, too. When some people lead a band, it's a showcase for them, but it was never like that with Miles. He would always share the music equally with his musicians."

These are lessons Holland puts into practice on Dream of the Elders, where he is a powerful but not dominating presence. He's always taking into account what's happening around him, even as he explores a tune's rhythmic possibilities or looks for ways to rework its melodic contours. His new quartet, featuring vibraphonist Steve Nelson, saxophonist Eric Person, and drummer Gene Jackson, is a warm line-up that places the emphasis squarely on group interaction and mutual support.

On "Lazy Snake," Person, with his bright, even tone, patiently shapes short phrases, leaving thoughtful pauses between riffs as an invitation for other band members to fill in. Nelson's solo on "The Winding Way" strikes a delightful balance between the melodic and percussive qualities of his instrument, meshing neatly with bassist and drummer. Jackson, a powerful, conversational drummer, can both float the band and drive it. Most of the album is taken at a relaxed pace, and the music has a sly, sinuous ebb and flow, with light airy textures, that makes it one of Holland's most engaging recordings.

Then there's his setting of Maya Angelou's "Equality," which Cassandra Wilson sings with commanding presence. It's actually a rehearsal that the studio engineer just happened to tape, according to Holland. "This is the first poem I've set to music. The written word provides a different beginning for the musical process. I actually heard the melody for the chorus first. Once I got that, the mood came together. I heard it as a blues -- dignified, melancholy, with a lot of power."

The quartet release is a strong debut, but Holland's solo album is simply brilliant. Recorded in 1993 at the conclusion of a four-week solo tour of Europe, it ranges through six Holland compositions and standards by Mingus, Coltrane, and Billie Holiday. The lyrical clarity of Holland's lines, his perfect articulation and purity of tone, whether pizzicato or with the bow, shine through with every note of tracks likes "Homecoming," "Jumpin' In," and "Cashel." An absolute concentration of purpose gives his improvisations on "Reminiscence" the logic and completeness of composition.

"Anthony Braxton was the person who first encouraged me to do solo performances, when we were in Circle," Holland says, recalling the legendary, short-lived quartet with Braxton, Holland, Chick Corea, and drummer Barry Altschul. "I'd also heard Barre Philips play solo concerts at the Little Theatre Club in London in early 1968. After Circle, I didn't play solo until Manfred Eicher [of ECM] proposed it and I recorded Emerald Tears. After that I started doing solo concerts. There are lots of models for solo string performance, from Bach's cello sonatas to Irish fiddle players. There's a stereotype of what the bass is, but in fact it has four strings just like a cello and a violin."

Both of Holland's latest releases swing like mad, but there's hardly a traditional walking bass-line heard on either. So how does he conceive that most elusive element of jazz? "Swing is just a feeling, and it comes down to how individuals make that feeling happen. It's about the interests of the people who play it. It's about the African-American community and their culture, and then it's about a Norwegian saxophone player who grew up listening to Coltrane records and who had found his own expression. And what's wrong with that? We need to celebrate that rather than narrow it down."

The Dave Holland Quartet, with pianist Michael Caine substituting for Steve Nelson, appears at the Regattabar February 15-17. Call 876-7777.