Dave Holland Quintet: Live in Freiburg

This 1986 German performance by bassist Dave Holland and his quintet is the kind of program that people who don't "get" jazz would use to support their argument. Holland, a British player who came to prominence when he recorded with Miles Davis in the late 1960s and early '70s (he played on Bitches Brew and In a Silent Way, among others), favors a style variously described as "semi-abstract" or "freebop." The sound is at once both modern and traditional—indeed, there's a lot of Dixieland flavor underlying the Holland group's clashing horn and woodwind lines—but whatever label you give it, this is heady, hard-edged, challenging stuff; yes, there are grooves, but the compositions are largely free of recognizable hooks and melodies. That doesn't mean it's not good: Holland and his piano-less group (with Brit trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, saxophonist Steve Coleman, trombonist Robin Eubanks, and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith) are all superb musicians, and with the shortest of the five tracks here clocking in at just under nine minutes, they all solo at considerable length and, for the most part, to good effect. Holland himself is rock solid, holding down the fort while the soloists wail and Smith thrashes away behind them. While definitely not recommended for the average smooth jazz aficionado, this performance (featuring superb DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound), is admiral if perhaps not lovable. A strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (S. Graham)