This Sunday is a big day for Oberlin jazz lovers: the Dave Holland Quintet, Down Beat Critics’ Poll’s number one Acoustic Jazz Group of the Year, will be visiting Oberlin to present a concert and to lead a jazz master class and forum.
The Dave Holland Quintet is made up of musicians Dave Holland on bass, Billy Kilson on drums, Steve Nelson on vibes and marimba, Chris Potter on saxophone, and Robin Eubanks on trombone.
Though the group was formed only five years ago, they have already garnered such awards as the Live Performance of the Year Award and Best Small Ensemble Award from the Jazz Journalists’ Association, and Best Combo of the Year from Bell Atlantic Jazz Awards. Individual members of the group have also received high praise, including saxophonist Chris Potter’s Jazzpar Prize and bassist Dave Holland’s three consecutive number one Bass Player of the Year titles from Down Beat Critics’ Poll.
The band’s recent releases have also been highly successful; three of them, Points of View, Prime Directive, and Not for Nothin’ were Grammy-nominated. The band’s most recent release, Not for Nothin’, was also voted jazz album of the year in the 67th annual Down Beat Reader’s poll identifying the CD as “a jazz tour de force.” (PortFolio Weekly)
Despite the individual members’ successes, the Dave Holland Quintet is considered something of an anomaly for its emphasis on the unity of the group. Though Dave Holland is by general consensus the “leader” of the group, all group members have equal status and responsibilities. For instance, all members of the band compose pieces to contribute to the band’s repertoire, though Holland calls the set before each performance.
The band’s appearance in Oberlin is especially noteworthy because one of the band members is a part of Oberlin: trombonist Robin Eubanks, when not on tour, serves as Associate Professor of Jazz Trombone for the Oberlin Conservatory. Within the Oberlin community Eubanks is known primarily as a teacher, but for him teaching is simply another facet of his performing career.
“I was very happy touring, gigging and freelancing around the world. I enjoy teaching more than I thought I would,” Eubanks said, “The students keep me on my toes.
“I can’t speak for everyone but it’s very important for me to perform. I’ve been doing it constantly, since I was 15 years old. I’ve never had a ‘regular day job’ in my life. Teaching is not for everyone and depending on what you teach neither is performing. I feel very fortunate that I’m able to do both.”
The music of the Dave Holland Quintet is not what most people consider “normal” jazz; much of their music is in unusual or rapidly-changing meters and has a Latin or funk feel.
Eubanks identifies rhythm as the real driving force in his music. “Rhythm is King,” he said, “Since I grew up with funk music as my base, I use that as the common denominator.
“To me, Bartok is funky. Ravi Shankar is funky. Thelonius Monk is very funky…When I use rhythm as a common denominator, I can transcend the musical categories and just hear the music.”
Eubanks also feels that improvisation is the key to creating jazz. “I have a lot of freedom when I perform with a small jazz ensemble. I can play what I want to play.”
The forum will be in Finney Chapel at 2 p.m., immediately followed by the jazz master class at 3 p.m. Also in Finney, at 8 p.m., the group will present a concert primarily comprising pieces composed by members of the group.
Tickets for Sunday’s 8 p.m. concert in Finney are available through Oberlin’s Central Ticket Service. The cost is $5 for students, $8 for faculty, staff, educators, alumni, and seniors, and $10 for the general public. The jazz forum at 2 p.m. and the jazz master class at 3 p.m. are both free and open to the public.