1988 · Album
Triplicate
Recorded March 1988 · ECM · Produced by Not specified in provided sources
Clean Language, Careful Listening
A trio album wrought with careful language, avoiding flash in search of melodic clarity.
When Dave Holland, Steve Coleman, and Jack DeJohnette went into the studio in March 1988 to record Triplicate (1988), they were working at a point where Holland had already spent years leading his own groups and establishing himself as one of jazz's most thoughtful bassists. This wasn't a debut or a surprising reinvention. It was a session among peers, three musicians comfortable enough with each other to know when to play and when to stay out of the way.
The album itself is restrained in a way that might disappoint listeners coming in hot for blowing and virtuosity. Tyran Grillo, writing about the record, described it as having a cleanliness of sound that prioritizes melodic line over flashy display. There's something deliberate about that choice. The trio doesn't reach for drama or volume to make its point. Instead, the conversation stays intimate, which works when the people talking know what they're saying. AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow called it a well-rounded date, which is accurate if a bit plain—it's solid work from three musicians who trust each other.
What matters here is the restraint itself. In an era when fusion and pyrotechnics were still very much in the conversation, this album chose the opposite direction. It's the sound of musicians confident enough not to prove anything. Whether that confidence reads as compositional restraint or as missing an opportunity probably depends on what you want from a trio record. The record found its audience among listeners who value listening over spectacle, which is a narrower but real constituency.
Who's playing
Where next?
More by Dave Holland
All 16 albums →
The musicians on this record
Parallel Realities 1978
Jack DeJohnette
plays drums (drum set) here
plays drums (drum set) here
Rhythm in Mind 1992
Steve Coleman
plays alto saxophone here
plays alto saxophone here
