Review: Despite obstacles, Holland keeps solid bass

Spencer Patterson

Monday, June 10, 2002 | 8:17 a.m.

Just call Dave Holland the postman.

Neither gusting winds, nor a heavyweight title fight, nor an unexpected swap of drummers could keep the jazz bassist from delivering a sparkling performance to an estimated crowd of 1,000 Saturday night at Clark County Government Center Amphitheater.

The show, part of the 13th annual Jazz in the Park free concert series, featured Holland fronting his Dave Holland Quintet for his first Las Vegas appearance in the face of on-and-off heavy gales.

"I'm trying to hold onto my bass here," a good-natured Holland said at one point during the evening's windy festivities.

To be sure, Holland did quite a bit more than simply hold onto his upright bass. Over the course of seven selections spanning 90 minutes, the 55-year-old musician displayed the fast fingers and keen rhythmic sense that have helped him earn a reputation as a jazz giant.

Holland's deep, rich bass line provided a never-wavering pulse around which his able bandmates -- saxophonist Chris Potter, trombonist Robin Eubanks, vibraphonist Steve Nelson and drummer Nate Smith -- came to life.

Smith sat in for regular quintet drummer Billy Kilson, though fans would have been hard-pressed to take note of the switch, given Smith's familiarity with the material. According to Paul Bagin, road manager for the group, Smith fills in on occasion for Kilson, who had a prior engagement and could not make the gig.

Though predictions of winds reaching 60 mph, and a heavyweight title victory by Holland's native countryman Lennox Lewis, combined to help keep the audience well under the amphitheater's 2,500-person capacity, those who did attend were treated to a varied set of acoustic jazz.

Holland dipped into all three of his current group's albums, "Not for Nothin' " (2001), "Prime Directive" (2000) and "Points of View" (1998), and also reached back in time a bit for cuts from mid-1990s projects from the Dave Holland Quartet and the Gateway Trio.

Holland's group showed its mellower side on "Make Believe" and "Let's Fly a Kite," the latter an appropriate choice for the occasion, which was written by Nelson.

And with Nelson's vibes giving the band's sound a hipper, more dynamic quality than a piano might have offered, the quintet bounced its way through such upbeat selections as "Prime Directive." For much of the nearly 15-minute cut, Potter and Eubanks dueled, with the rest of the band dropping out at times to allow the two horn players to weave improvised flurries in and around one-another.

"How's Never," taken from Holland's 1995 "Homecoming" album featuring Gateway Trio mates John Abercrombie and Jack DeJohnette, energized the crowd most of all.

Holland kicked the song off with a long, walking bass intro before settling into a funky groove for a series of solos capped off by some rousing work by Smith on drums.

With emcee Nate Tannenbaum urging the crowd on, the Quintet returned to the stage for an encore, choosing "Dream of the Elders" from the 1995 Dave Holland Quartet album of the same name. Again, Holland gave his fans what they came for, opening with an extended solo bass workout.

Then one last time, before the group played its final note, the wind kicked up again, sending one of jazz's greatest living bassists on his way. The quintet will perform tonight in Golden, Colo., before embarking on a tour of this summer's jazz festivals in Chicago, Boston, Vancouver, Montreal and Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

This year's Jazz in the Park series will conclude June 22 with a show featuring the Jimmy Wilkins Orchestra.