Dave Holland: The Sum of All Parts

The CD is called Pass It On, and this opening track certainly lives up to the title. The song spreads like a virus through the band, passed on from musician to musician. Eric Harland opens with a drum groove that entices Eubanks into a dialogue. For almost two minutes, this track continues as a duet, sounding as spontaneous as a practice-room amusement. Then sax and trumpet enter the mix, and the music settles into a glorious vamp. Mulgrew Miller now joins on piano, and finally the bandleader shows up on the premises. But he decides to join 'em, not fight 'em. Holland makes up for his late arrival by contributing a fine solo, which again brings Eubanks back into the fold. The constantly shifting textures here are quite effective, and the whole is definitely more than "the sum of all parts."