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CD Review
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Down Beat, CD Review >>
Daye Holland Quintet
Critical Mass
DAREZ/SUNNYSIDE 3058 ****
The struggle for many bands is to make complicated music sound effortless. Even with a new drummer. Dave Holland's longstanding fivesome can do that with its ears closed. Tricky timings, sectionality, tempo overlays, insinuations of counterpoint -- the group manages to take tough stuff and make it sound easy.
Chiefly responsible for the band's facade of casualness is the beautiful interplay between the horns. Chris Potter sounds perfectly at home in Holland's company, especially knocking around with Robin Eubanks, whose trombone is the most exciting single soloistic element on Critical Mass, as it is on other of the quintet's outings. Listen to Potter and Eubanks intertwine Arabic lines on "Secret Garden," playing together and independently in a crissing and crossing motion that's punctuated by Steve Nelson's vibes chords. The trombonist's inventive "Full Circle," with its stair-step melodic arcs, is one of two tracks on the CD that clocks in at more than 10 minutes (the other being "Easy Did It," melting slow-groove of Holland's that's as laid back as its title suggests). Things take time to grow, solos open up unhurriedly and energy builds. Eubanks makes great use of the elbow room, as does Holland, whose solo on "The Eyes Have It" manages to urge things along rather than bogging them down.
Drummer Nate Smith, who is tasteful and potent, offers a hip-hoppish tune, "The Leak," which recalls Tribe Called Quest melody. The band plays the slick rhythmic part with its ususal chill sensibility.
But maybe that comfy feeling can go too far. In select places, that relaxation and ease of flow pushes what might be a creeping mildness into something bland. Some of the harmonic choices are dull, as on the opening track, and even inspired blowing by Potter and Eubanks can't keep the charts from shunting everything into the middle of the road. While Nelson sometimes adds excitingly to the mix, his vibes can also introduce uninspiring sonorities. When the band keeps things taut and focused, but retains the cool feel, like they do on "Lucky Seven," they're hard to beat. But when they lapse into their own as they do periodically they can be hard to take.
John Corbett
10/01/06
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