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Editorial Reviews
Review
As Holland has done in virtually everyone of his previous bands, he provides a platform for his Pathways colleagues to realize an individual and collective sense of purpose and cooperation. The resulting spirit of generosity, of selflessly yet emphatically serving each composition, pays off from start to finish on the seven song album (fine penned by Holland), which clocks in at over 75 minutes but doesn't contain a single extraneous note or gesture. Miles and Mingus would be proud. -- JazzTimes - April, 2010
Memorable melodies, smart arrangements, exceptional playing: Pathways has all the hallmarks of a Dave Holland recording. -- Spinner (AOL) - March, 2010
Memorable melodies, smart arrangements, exceptional playing: Pathways has all the hallmarks of a Dave Holland recording. -- Spinner (AOL) - March, 2010
Product Description
Pathways marks the recording debut of the Dave Holland Octet and the fourth album
to be released on Holland s own Dare2 label. The players should be familiar to Holland
fans: Chris Potter (tenor, soprano), Robin Eubanks (trombone), Steve Nelson (vibes, marimba), and Nate Smith (drums). Added to the front-line are other Holland collaborators
Antonio Hart (alto), Alex Sipiagin (trumpet), and Gary Smulyan (baritone). Holland returned to New York s Birdland to record Pathways
capturing this incredible group of improvisers in full flight.
Says Holland, - I had always loved the sound of the Duke Ellington small groups, often with a five horn front-line plus the rhythm section. The combination of two brass and three saxes gives access to a wide range of textures and colors and allows a composer to evoke the sound of a big band or create the more intimate sound of a small group. I also wanted a project that would include at its core my regular working quintet and build the music around what we had already developed as a small group. -
to be released on Holland s own Dare2 label. The players should be familiar to Holland
fans: Chris Potter (tenor, soprano), Robin Eubanks (trombone), Steve Nelson (vibes, marimba), and Nate Smith (drums). Added to the front-line are other Holland collaborators
Antonio Hart (alto), Alex Sipiagin (trumpet), and Gary Smulyan (baritone). Holland returned to New York s Birdland to record Pathways
capturing this incredible group of improvisers in full flight.
Says Holland, - I had always loved the sound of the Duke Ellington small groups, often with a five horn front-line plus the rhythm section. The combination of two brass and three saxes gives access to a wide range of textures and colors and allows a composer to evoke the sound of a big band or create the more intimate sound of a small group. I also wanted a project that would include at its core my regular working quintet and build the music around what we had already developed as a small group. -
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By A. Davis
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Dave Holland is one of my favorite musicians and has never failed to intrigue me with his ability to consistently release strong material. His compositions are excellent, his artistic canvas is rich and very colorful, and his ability to extract the best work from his band members is exceptional. In 2003, Dave took his Quintet to Birdland and recorded one of the best live concerts I have ever heard. "Extended Play" has since become my modern-day benchmark for gauging live performances. That high-energy recording was filled with some of the best Jazz improvisation my ears have ever experienced.
On "Pathways", Dave returns to Birdland to record his new Octet in a live environment with good results. The compositions are solid and provide an excellent platform for some great solos from each of the musicians including a few excellent nuggets from Holland's nimble fingers. I enjoyed the addition of the new brass instruments to thicken the sound and could hear a brief hint of Charles Mingus and Maria Schneider throughout the recording.
After several enjoyable listings, I found myself craving more of those engaging musical conversations created when two or more soloists dialoged with each other to push the music to another level. There are great moments when this happens on "Ebb and Flow" and especially "Shadow Dancing". These interactions and exchanges allows the band to soar into the stratosphere and leave the listener breathless. These two standout tracks are filled with the same dynamic musical interactions that caused me to fall in love with Dave's music way back in the 70's with "Conference of the Birds." The other five tracks offer an enjoyable listening experience but not at the same level of excitement that leaves me aching for more. I recommend this recording because it is another solid effort from Dave Holland. I am looking forward to his next recording project. Maybe he will pullout some of the "Gateway" material and run it through this new Octet format. Keep dreaming! Peace!
On "Pathways", Dave returns to Birdland to record his new Octet in a live environment with good results. The compositions are solid and provide an excellent platform for some great solos from each of the musicians including a few excellent nuggets from Holland's nimble fingers. I enjoyed the addition of the new brass instruments to thicken the sound and could hear a brief hint of Charles Mingus and Maria Schneider throughout the recording.
After several enjoyable listings, I found myself craving more of those engaging musical conversations created when two or more soloists dialoged with each other to push the music to another level. There are great moments when this happens on "Ebb and Flow" and especially "Shadow Dancing". These interactions and exchanges allows the band to soar into the stratosphere and leave the listener breathless. These two standout tracks are filled with the same dynamic musical interactions that caused me to fall in love with Dave's music way back in the 70's with "Conference of the Birds." The other five tracks offer an enjoyable listening experience but not at the same level of excitement that leaves me aching for more. I recommend this recording because it is another solid effort from Dave Holland. I am looking forward to his next recording project. Maybe he will pullout some of the "Gateway" material and run it through this new Octet format. Keep dreaming! Peace!
10 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
You know that old break up line, "It's not you, it's me." Nine trainwrecks of ten, it's bull. But it is 100% true when I use it to explain why am very very slightly disappointed in this album
As a jazz fan, I of course knew for years about Dave Holland. He played on a good deal of the classic electric Miles albums before moving on to even more out there spaces with Anthony Braxton and a drummer named Barry Ashtul.
That, of course, was lifetimes ago: Dave REALLY got on my top tier radar when he put out two absolutely classic big band albums, Overtime and What Goes Around. These bookends were just packed with winding compositions: masterstrokes that played with freedom and control, and changed a rule or three about how songs are structured and paced. If you want to see my almost unending enthusiasm for Dave Holland, particularlly in our era, check both my reviews .
Big band with Dave means big dynamics, almost infinate dynamics, and for me--and this is where the subjectivity comes---this is what has had me transfixed on the big band albums for at least four years--1000 cds a year, no time for me to hear more than a fraction of the new music I promise I will put older material aside for. Yet I can't stop listening again and again to Dave's big band
Here, the music is just as well composed and played, yet, and again, my hang up, not quite as compelling. This octet live set has some of the same great players, and writing of the highest calabre.
But fewer layers, and hence less of a draw. I can listen to this stuff all day, and I will for a long long time: but this does not have my magic of being sucked into Dave Hollands big band massive vortex of sound.......(at least not yet)
Break up line or not, I'm keepin' the CDs.
As a jazz fan, I of course knew for years about Dave Holland. He played on a good deal of the classic electric Miles albums before moving on to even more out there spaces with Anthony Braxton and a drummer named Barry Ashtul.
That, of course, was lifetimes ago: Dave REALLY got on my top tier radar when he put out two absolutely classic big band albums, Overtime and What Goes Around. These bookends were just packed with winding compositions: masterstrokes that played with freedom and control, and changed a rule or three about how songs are structured and paced. If you want to see my almost unending enthusiasm for Dave Holland, particularlly in our era, check both my reviews .
Big band with Dave means big dynamics, almost infinate dynamics, and for me--and this is where the subjectivity comes---this is what has had me transfixed on the big band albums for at least four years--1000 cds a year, no time for me to hear more than a fraction of the new music I promise I will put older material aside for. Yet I can't stop listening again and again to Dave's big band
Here, the music is just as well composed and played, yet, and again, my hang up, not quite as compelling. This octet live set has some of the same great players, and writing of the highest calabre.
But fewer layers, and hence less of a draw. I can listen to this stuff all day, and I will for a long long time: but this does not have my magic of being sucked into Dave Hollands big band massive vortex of sound.......(at least not yet)
Break up line or not, I'm keepin' the CDs.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
"Pathways" is a recording of a Dave Holland's octet. He has a good band - Antonio Hart, Chris Potter, and Gary Smulyan on saxes, Alex Sipiagin on trumpet, Robin Eubanks on trombone, Steve Nelson on vibes, and Nate Smith on drums are all great players. Though the songs are mostly Holland originals, a bunch are from older albums. Sipiagin's "Wind Dance" is perhaps the best composition, and also sounded good when Sipiagin first recorded it in 2008. An octet can be a little tricky to get the most out of - roles are more easily defined in a small group, and big band has more power. Though this is a good CD, it's weakness is that the octet is a little inconsistant. The title track and Potter's "Sea of Marmara" could use some improvement. The moments where the octet is working together are very good. This is still a pretty good mainstream jazz disc, and is recommended for Holland fans.
