Uncharted Territories

Last updated

Uncharted Territories
Uncharted Territories - cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 11, 2018 (2018-05-11)
RecordedMay 2–3, 2017
StudioNRS Studio, Catskill, NY
Genre Jazz
Length130:52
Label Dare2 Records
Producer Dave Holland
Dave Holland chronology
Aziza
(2016)
Uncharted Territories
(2018)
Without Deception
(2020)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All About Jazz Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
Blurt Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
DownBeat Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Financial Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Jazzwise Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The Sydney Morning Herald Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [6]
Tom Hull A− [7]

Uncharted Territories is a two-disc studio album by English jazz bassist Dave Holland together with saxophonist Evan Parker, percussionist Ches Smith, and pianist Craig Taborn. [8] [9] [10] The album was released on May 11, 2018 via Holland's own Dare2 Records label. [11]

Contents

Reception

S. Victor Aaron of Something Else! stated "A blessed combination of two shores and two generations but a remarkably single minded mission to make magic from dust, the double CD free jazz extravaganza Uncharted Territories continues the fertile tradition of cross-pollination between the American and British free jazz scenes. As the man in the middle of this tradition, Dave Holland continues to add meaningful music to an already ample, rewarding catalog". [12] Martin Longley writing for DownBeat commented, " The joy of having 23 tracks is that just as many approaches are available, from soft, tentative transparency to agitated, emphatic spikiness." [3] Mac Randall in his review for JazzTimes noted, "To have the bassist and saxophonist renew their lengthy acquaintance in a recording studio is notable enough, but to make matters more intriguing, they’ve hooked up on this double-disc set with two players of a younger generation and a similar free spirit, keyboardist Craig Taborn and drummer-percussionist Ches Smith. Only three of the 23 tracks were pre-written; the rest are free improvisations, titled according to their instrument combinations... Not shockingly, Holland and Parker acquit themselves well throughout." [13]

Paul Weideman of The New Mexican wrote "In May 2017, two English-born jazz veterans — bassist Dave Holland, seventy-one, and saxophonist Evan Parker, seventy-four — spent two days in the studio with Craig Taborn (keyboards and electronics) and Ches Smith (percussion). The result is 23 tracks, totaling two hours and 12 minutes of what truly qualifies as “aliveness music.” ... On the whole, the album is a beautiful and exhilarating event!" [14] Mike Hobart writing for Financial Times added, "But for the most part, Holland applies his firm lines and resonant tone to the free jazz methods he pioneered in late 1960s London alongside the likes of saxophonist Evan Parker, who plays tenor on this recording. And with Taborn complementing Parker’s bell-tone murmurations and Smith equally astute, Holland’s through-form jazz sounds fresh, resolute and contemporary." [4]

Track listing

Disc one
No.TitleLength
1."Thought on Earth"7:37
2."Piano - Bass - Percussion T1"5:47
3."Q&A"4:40
4."Tenor - Percussion W2"3:25
5."QT12"6:10
6."Tenor - Bass W3"2:44
7."QW2"8:17
8."Tenor - Piano - Bass T2"5:36
9."Organ - Vibes W1"6:14
10."Bass - Percussion T2"5:07
11."Tenor - Piano - Percussion T1"9:34
Disc two
No.TitleLength
1."QT13"6:25
2."Tenor - Bass - Percussion T2"4:10
3."Piano - Percussion W3"5:01
4."QT5"6:54
5."Tenor - Bass W1"4:16
6."Piano - Bass - Percussion T2"5:37
7."Unsteady As She Goes"5:39
8."Bass - Percussion T1"6:02
9."QW5"2:26
10."Tenor - Bass - Percussion T1"5:18
11."Tenor - Bass W2"3:46
12."QW1"10:07

Quote from the liner notes: "At the end of the two days of recording we had almost six hours of recorded material from which we've selected the 23 tracks featured on this release. The spontaneously created tracks use a code for the title that designates the instrumentation, the day and the take number." For example: QT12 = Quartet, Tuesday, Take 12. Tenor - Bass W3 = Tenor Bass Duo, Wednesday, Take 3.

Personnel

Charts

ChartPeak
position
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard) [15] 7

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evan Parker</span> British saxophone player

Evan Shaw Parker is a British tenor and soprano saxophone player who plays free improvisation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Holland</span> British jazz musician

David Holland is an English double bassist, bass guitarist, cellist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States since the early 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Heckstall-Smith</span> English saxophonist (1934–2004)

Richard Malden "Dick" Heckstall-Smith was an English jazz and blues saxophonist. He played with some of the most influential English blues rock and jazz fusion bands of the 1960s and 1970s. He is known for primarily playing tenor, soprano, and baritone saxophones, as well as piano, clarinet and alto saxophone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Potter (jazz saxophonist)</span> American jazz musician and composer

Chris Potter is an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig Taborn</span> American keyboardist and composer (born 1970)

Craig Marvin Taborn is an American pianist, organist, keyboardist and composer. He works solo and in bands, mostly playing various forms of jazz. He started playing piano and Moog synthesizer as an adolescent and was influenced at an early stage by a wide range of music, including by the freedom expressed in recordings of free jazz and contemporary classical music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1970 in jazz</span> Overview of the events of 1970 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1970.

<i>Critical Mass</i> (Dave Holland album) 2006 studio album by the Dave Holland Quintet

Critical Mass is a studio album by the Dave Holland Quintet released in 2006 through Dare2, his second release for his own label. This is Holland's first recording to feature drummer Nate Smith; saxophonist Chris Potter, trombonist Robin Eubanks and vibraphonist Steve Nelson all return from previous Holland projects.

<i>Nine to Get Ready</i> 1999 studio album by Roscoe Mitchell

Nine to Get Ready is an album by American jazz saxophonist and composer Roscoe Mitchell recorded in May 1997 and released on ECM in 1999. The nonet features brass section Hugh Ragin and George Lewis, and double-rhythm section Matthew Shipp and Craig Taborn, Jaribu Shahid and William Parker, and Tani Tabbal and Gerald Cleaver.

<i>Overtime</i> (album) 2005 studio album by the Dave Holland Big Band

Overtime is an album by the Dave Holland Big Band that won the Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album in 2005. Recorded in 2002, the music centers on the four-movement "Monterey Suite", a piece commissioned by the Monterey Jazz Festival. The big band on this record is on the “small” side, at thirteen players. The rhythm section consists of Holland with vibraphonist Steve Nelson and drummer Billy Kilson, continuing the format established over many of Holland’s Quintet records. Featured players include tenor saxophonist Chris Potter, alto saxophonist Antonio Hart, trumpeter Alex Sipiagin and trombonist Robin Eubanks. This is Holland's first album since departing ECM, through which he had released nearly all of his albums since his 1972 debut Conference of the Birds, for his own Dare2 label.

<i>Pathways</i> (album) 2010 live album by Dave Holland Octet

Pathways is a live album by the Dave Holland Octet. The album was recorded live at New York City’s Birdland jazz club. The record was released on March 23, 2010 via Dare2 label.

<i>Conversin with the Elders</i> 1996 studio album by James Carter

Conversin' with the Elders is the fourth album by saxophonist James Carter recorded in late 1995 and early 1996 and released on the Atlantic label. The album features guest appearances by veteran musicians, including trumpeters Harry "Sweets" Edison and Lester Bowie, and saxophonists Hamiet Bluiett, Larry Smith and Buddy Tate.

<i>The Redwood Session</i> 1996 studio album by Evan Parker

The Redwood Session is an album by saxophonist Evan Parker with bassist Barry Guy and drummer Paul Lytton recorded in 1995 which was the first release on the CIMP label.

<i>Rocket Science</i> (Rocket Science album) 2013 live album by Rocket Science

Rocket Science is the eponymous debut album by the collaborative quartet assembled by trumpeter Peter Evans and featuring British saxophonist Evan Parker, pianist Craig Taborn and computer musician Sam Pluta. It was recorded live at the Vortex in London, at the start of the quartet's first tour which then visited the Bimhuis in Amsterdam and the Moers Festival in Germany. Evans recorded Scenes in the House of Music with the Parker-Guy-Lytton trio, and is a member of Parker's Electro-Acoustic Ensemble. Taborn played piano in Parker's Transatlantic Art Ensemble which recorded Boustrophedon. Pluta is a member of the Peter Evans Quintet that recorded Ghosts.

<i>Floating Islands</i> (album) 2009 live album by Lotte Anker

Floating Islands is the third album by Danish jazz saxophonist Lotte Anker with her trio with pianist Craig Taborn and drummer Gerald Cleaver, which was recorded live at the 2008 Copenhagen Jazz Festival and released on the Danish ILK label.

<i>Prism</i> (Dave Holland album) 2013 studio album by Dave Holland

Prism is a studio album by English jazz bassist Dave Holland. The record was released via the Dare2 label on September 2, 2013. This album is a milestone of Dave Holland's career as a leader—the forty year anniversary of his debut, free jazz album Conference of the Birds released in 1973. Prism contains nine original compositions written by bandmembers.

<i>Daylight Ghosts</i> 2017 studio album by Craig Taborn

Daylight Ghosts is an album by Craig Taborn, with Chris Speed, Chris Lightcap, and Dave King. It was released by ECM Records in 2017.

<i>Imaginary Cities</i> (album) 2015 studio album by the Chris Potter Underground Orchestra

Imaginary Cities is a studio album by the Chris Potter Underground Orchestra recorded in December 2013 and released on ECM in January 2015, Potter's second album for the label. The ensembles features the return of his "Underground Quartet"—consisting rhythm section Craig Taborn, Adam Rogers, and Nate Smith—alongside vibraphonist Steve Nelson, bassist Scott Colley, bass guitarist Fima Ephron, and a string quartet.

<i>Follow the Red Line</i> 2007 live album by Chris Potter Underground

Follow the Red Line is the third live album by jazz saxophonist Chris Potter recorded in February of 2007 & released later that year on the Sunnyside label. It features Potter with guitarist Adam Rogers, keyboardist Craig Taborn and drummer Nate Smith.

<i>Underground</i> (Chris Potter album) 2006 studio album by Chris Potter

Underground is the tenth studio album by jazz saxophonist Chris Potter released on the Sunnyside label in 2006. It features guitarist Wayne Krantz, keyboardist Craig Taborn and drummer Nate Smith.

<i>Got the Keys to the Kingdom: Live at the Village Vanguard</i> 2023 live album by Chris Potter

Got the Keys to the Kingdom: Live at the Village Vanguard is a 2023 live album by saxophonist Chris Potter, his fourth released on Edition Records, recorded live at the Village Vanguard in NYC. Chris Potter is accompanied by Craig Taborn on piano, Scott Colley on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums. The album features all cover songs which, in Potter's words, "are tunes people don’t usually play".

References

  1. Phipps, Don (6 October 2018). "Dave Holland: Uncharted Territories". All About Jazz . Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  2. TOLAND, MICHAEL. "DAVE HOLLAND/EVAN PARKER/CRAIG TABORN/CHES SMITH – Uncharted Territories". Blurt . Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  3. 1 2 Longley, Martin (August 2018). "Dave Holland Uncharted Territories (Dare 2)". DownBeat . Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  4. 1 2 Hobart, Mike (11 May 2018). "Dave Holland: Uncharted Territories — 'fresh, resolute and contemporary'". ft.com . Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  5. Nicholson, Stuart (June 2018). "Review". Jazzwise . Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  6. Shand, John (14 September 2018). "Music reviews: Paul McCartney, Macy Gray, Troye Sivan, Dave Holland and more". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  7. "Tom Hull: Grade List: Dave Holland". Tom Hull . Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  8. "Dave Holland: Uncharted Territories". Allmusic . allmusic.com. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  9. Johnson, Kevin (17 May 2018). "Dave Holland Releases "Uncharted Territories"". No Treble. notreble.com. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  10. Ham, Robert (26 April 2018). "Jazz Bassist Dave Holland Premieres Track From New Album Uncharted Territories". Paste Magazine . pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  11. "Dave Holland, Evan Parker, Craig Taborn And Ches Smith – Uncharted Territories". Discogs . discogs.com. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  12. AARON, S. VICTOR (10 May 2018). "Dave Holland – Uncharted Territories (2018)". Something Else!. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  13. R, Mac. "Dave Holland: Uncharted Territories (Dare2)". JazzTimes . Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  14. Weideman, Paul (11 May 2018). "ALBUM REVIEW DAVE HOLLAND "Uncharted Territories" (Dare2 Records)". The New Mexican . Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  15. "Craig Taborn Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 January 2022.