A trio that sounds bigger than it is. Holland's beefy beat and Eubanks' canny channelling of flow moves mountains so that a rhythmic impetus that's easy to internalise is enlarged. And that's not all.
If you are scouring the Holland back catalogue for clues as to predecessors and there's plenty of choice closest to this context is when guitarist Kevin Eubanks joined Holland for World Trio. That time the trio was wired for percussion rather than strictly drums as Mino Cinelu was on board rather than as here where drums, in the hands and feet of Obed Calvaire a player probably best known for his work with the great Jamaican pianist Monty Alexander, play a more urgent role. So by this reckoning at Another Land's core it's the Holland and Eubanks ability to enhance their riff-groove flair to then go to market flo'etically with Calvaire, the three riding a certain wave. Another Land was supposed to have come out last year but it's worth the wait and is far earthier than when Holland is with a pianist as chief harmonic foil. Eubanks injects a certain razor edged bluesiness when required but he also is astute at opening up a lot of space, say on 'Gentle Warrior'. In terms of sheer riffery 'Mashup' is unbeatable. Given how Holland is a master of metrical elasticity 'Mashup' is a reminder of how he can get his finger fangs to twang at will as Eubanks merrily pitch bends away but just as easily DH can wrap his own gnashers around a riff that he has rustled up frankly miraculously from scratch that you'll want to chew on all day long. On Edition, out today
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