2021 · Album
Another Land
Edition Records · Released: 21 May 2021 · Personnel: Dave Holland (bass), Kevin Eubanks (guitar), Obed Calvaire (drums)
Three Players, One Conversation, No Wasted Notes
Holland, Eubanks, and Calvaire make something exceptional from apparently simple parts.
Dave Holland has spent decades leading trios and larger ensembles, but Another Land feels unusually relaxed—which is not the same as unfocused. With guitarist Kevin Eubanks and drummer Obed Calvaire, Holland created something that sounds like three musicians who trusted each other enough to leave space in the music. There's no straining for effect here. Jeff Tamarkin, writing for JazzTimes, caught it perfectly: the three sound like they walked in without a plan and just let it happen when the tape rolled. That casualness is deceptive. Alyn Shipton of Jazzwise noted that what seems simple on first listen rewards repeated listening—new details keep surfacing, which means the three were precise about what they left unsaid.
What makes this record distinct is how completely Holland recedes when he needs to. He's a bassist who has led entire projects, but here he's content to be rock solid underneath, as Mike Hobart of Financial Times observed, even supporting Eubanks's more elaborate guitar work with perfect clarity. That choice matters. A lot of leaders would have grabbed the spotlight back. Instead, Holland lets the collaboration breathe. Eubanks gets room to explore, Calvaire keeps things alive without overwhelming the space, and Holland holds it all together with the kind of quiet authority that only comes from decades of listening.
This is a record for people who already know Holland's work and want to hear him think differently about what a trio can be. It's not a career statement or a turning point—it's more modest than that. But it's also not a side project you can skip. If you've followed Holland through his various chapters, this one shows he's still interested in conversations, not lectures.
Who's playing
Where next?
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
