Dave Holland - Dream of the Elders (ECM, 1995)

Dave Holland, bass
Steve Nelson, vibes & marimba
Eric Person, alto & soprano saxes
Gene Jackson, drums

Cassandra Wilson, vocal

Recorded March 1995

Power Station, NYC

Engineer: James Farber

Dave Holland's quintet (DHQ) was preceded by trios and quartets. Sometimes those earlier groups get overshadowed by the brilliance of the quintets, but the earlier albums are gems in their own right. On Dream of the Elders, Eric Person and Gene Jackson assume the roles that Chris Potter and Billy Kilson would later play in the DHQ. 

Person is a perfect fit with the smaller quartet. On Dream of the Elders, he forges a special relationship with Steve Nelson, the other main soloist. Their work is cooler than the DHQ with Potter and Kilson, but Nelson and Jackson generate enough fireworks to keep the session lively.

The first two pieces on the album - "The Winding Way" and "Lazy Snake" - establish the quartet's sinuously modal style. "The Winding Way" begins with Holland and Nelson laying down a repetitive vamp, as Person's soprano plays slithering figures over the modal chord changes. Nelson's vibes take over to further the narrative, to be joined again by Person and Holland to close the number.

"Lazy Snake" begins with an arco bass solo that reveals the tactile contact of bow on strings. Nelson follows cautiously on marimba behind Holland, and Person joins for a measured solo on alto. Nelson switches from marimba to vibes for his solo. Each soloist in turn portrays the snake in various states of arousal. I love the pace of "Lazy Snake" because it gives soloists ample space to craft sonic images, and time for the listener to absorb them.

Halfway through the program, vocalist Cassandra Wilson almost steals the show, singing Maya Angelou's poem, "Equality." Wilson's solemn vocal expresses each nuance of the poem. It's also a treat that the quartet plays an instrumental version of "Equality" as their last number.

Dream of the Elders is one of the few ECM releases to be recorded in the U.S. with James Farber at the controls of the Power Station studio. I hear no drop off of sonic quality from the typically pristine ECM sound. 

For my review of Holland's Extensions album, go to:

Post: Edit: Extensions