British jazz double bassist, composer, and bandleader Dave Holland – born on October 1, 1946 in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England – has had a career that spans decades and includes a large catalog of releases, both as a leader and as a sideman. His musical resume includes working with some of jazz music’s greatest artists such as Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Jack DeJohnette and John McLaughlin. His musical journey began when he learned to play ukulele and guitar. Influenced by the skiffle music craze that swept the UK in the late 1950s and early 1960s, he switched his attention to the bass. Mentored by Edward Merrett, bassist of the Royal Philharmonic, Holland was offered a scholarship at the Guildhall School of Music. He later came to the attention of Miles Davis who asked him to join his band. Holland played on some of Davis’ best-known works including Bitches Brew. After leaving Davis’ band, he worked with Thelonious Monk, Anthony Braxton, Stan Getz, Bonnie Raitt, and others. In 1983, he formed the Dave Holland Trio and the following year, the Dave Holland Quintet. While the group’s line-up was fluid over the years, the Dave Holland Quintet released several albums that were well-received by critics and jazz music fans including Jumpin’ In (1984), Seeds of Time (1985), The Razor’s Edge (1987), Points of View (1998), Not for Nothin’ (2001), and Critical Mass (2006).
