Critical Mass (Dave Holland album)


Critical Mass is a 2006 album release by the Dave Holland Quintet, and the first to feature drummer Nate Smith. This is the first Dave Holland Quintet album to be released outside the ECM label, through which he had released all of his albums since his 1972 debut as leader, Conference of the Birds.

Reception

Steve Greenlee of JazzTimes stated "It’s been five years since Dave Holland’s quintet released an album of new material. The bassist hasn’t exactly been relaxing in the meantime; he put out two albums of big-band music and toured extensively, and released a stellar double-live CD by his quintet. And all the while, the least grateful among us have been hankering for some new music from Holland’s quintet. Well, here it is, and it holds its own against Prime Directive, the group’s most impressive release... The groupthink mentality manifests itself most obviously on the New Orleans tribute “Easy Did It,” for which Holland and Smith create a slithering, swelling rhythm that culminates in a five-way roundtable of near-chaos. Critical Mass will be on everyone’s list of 2006’s best."

Track listing

  1. "The Eyes Have It" - 7:00
  2. "Easy Did It" - 11:16
  3. "Vicissitudes" - 9:56
  4. "The Leak" - 5:42
  5. "Secret Garden" - 8:42
  6. "Lucky Seven" - 8:35
  7. "Full Circle" - 12:11
  8. "Amator Silenti" - 9:17

    Personnel