The Dave Holland Big Band warms a frigid city

On Saturday evening, Jan. 22, despite the lousy weather, an audience filled most of the seats in the Kennedy Center's small Terrace Theater to see the Dave Holland Big Band.

If the image comes to mind of men in matching suits playing "Sing, Sing, Sing" (better known to some as the song from the Chips Ahoy! commercials) in a raucous speakeasy, you're way off. This group is a few horns short of being a full big band, the trombonist's pink-buttoned shirt doesn't match the drummer's white tee, and the group plays some of the most modern and technical jazz on the scene today. And although Benny Goodman may be easier to dance to, Holland's group is arguably more intense.

Since joining Miles Davis in 1968, Holland has been one of the preeminent bassists in modern jazz. His current big band is an extension of his quintet, formed in the late 1990s, and includes Chris Potter on saxophone, Robin Eubanks on trombone, Steve Nelson on vibes and marimba and Nate Smith on drums. Although the expanded group requires more orchestration, the music has the solid groove, harmonic freedom and rhythmic head-games that are Holland's signature.

The first set opened passably, but lacked the energy of the group's recent studio release "What Goes Around." Holland announced that the group had had a difficult day on the road, and though the material was mind-blowing, the group seemed to be having trouble finding its center. But as the first four songs came and went, each was more powerful and comfortable than the last.

The final song of the set, the title track from their new album, was a half-hour experience easily worth the cost of admission. The tune opens with the only Holland solo of the evening, simple and free with the emphasis on melody rather than showcasing technique or playing changes. His tone is simply unbelievable; he gets an almost bowed sound from his vibrato.

After his solo, Holland sets into rock-solid swaggering groove, as the rhythm section adds layers on top of him. Smith is right in the pocket; every rhythm he plays feels just perfect no matter how syncopated or polyrhythmic. In the absence of the traditional piano, Nelson adds tonal accompaniment. He bends over his instrument, enthusiastically bobbing up and down to his sparse chordal embellishments. The horn section comes in and states the melody. Although the tune in 11/4, a very difficult meter, everyone's playing seems effortless.

The next solo features Potter and Eubanks improvising over each other, with full horn accompaniment. Smith's playing is so incendiary that it would start a fire if Holland didn't stay so perfectly cool. Potter, one of the greatest living sax players, goes from shredding modes to bebop chromaticism to a wailing blues all in the same solo. Eubanks is also one of the all time greats on his instrument, playing beautifully phrased lines at speeds beyond what most people imagine the trombone is capable of.

After the duo the rhythm dies down and Potter begins another solo. The intensity builds to such a level that even Holland is swaying to the pulse. The rhythm dies down again to just drums and bass for a second Eubanks solo, which ends more powerfully than the one before. Next comes an absolutely ridiculous drum solo. Smith builds the energy with rumbling snare rolls, blistering fills and pounds at his set at unbelievable speeds, all held together by Holland's permeating bass. The group follows its pattern and restates the melody more strongly than any playing yet that evening, and suddenly, at its climax, the music stops. It takes a few minutes to comprehend the power of what just happened.

Many things can be said about Holland's music on a technical level. His use of odd meters, his harmonic freedom and his dazzling virtuosity all make Holland one of the best musicians in the world. But the real thrill of this group is its control of intensity, from the calm to the violent and back again.

For those interested in Dave Holland, the album "Extended Play: Live at Birdland" contains over two hours of some of the best, yet palatable, jazz in years.