Bassist Dave Holland is famous for his work with Miles Davis in the late ‘60s as well as for leading his own bands, which from the ‘80s onward have played a technically demanding brand of post-bop filled with strong melodies and imaginative but accessible arrangements. Yet people tend to forget that he began the ‘70s in the free-jazz supergroup Circle. Here on his 1973 debut as a leader, he calls upon Circle band members Anthony Braxton (horn) and Barry Altschul (drums) as well as regular employer Sam Rivers (horn) for an edgy and often-riveting set of material. In one respect it’s interesting to hear Holland rip through knotty material like “Interception” (and then put a solo on top of it), yet we also get early glimpses of that melodic ear in the folky, flute-driven title track and the slowly emerging “Now Here (Nowhere).” Those who are fans of Holland’s compositionally driven later material will likely dig the peppy “See-Saw” and odd-metered “Four Winds” too.
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