"Lazy Snake," from 1995's Dream Of The Elders is more successful in the latter-day form, as it has a slowly, swinging quality that comes out much better with a piano and three horns than it did with just a vibraphone and sax in the earlier rendition. It also benefits from Hart's superior saxophone solo, sounding tough and intense without boiling over.
"Equality," which also first appeared in Dream, also works in the larger form, as Hart replaces Cassandra Wilson's vocal with a richly lyrical voicing. "Modern Times," from Gateway's 1995 release Homecoming, is a fine showcase for Siapiagin's clear, fiery trumpet tone. 
Holland's two fresh composition sound more obviously intended for a larger ensemble. "Fast Track," sports a great horn chart that states a theme that derivative of the classic Blue Note hard bop dates, and Miller gets to strut his stuff, McCoy Tyner style. For all of Miller's abundant faculties, though, he seems tragically underutilized. It's a flipside of employing a band with three strong horn players: not everyone can get enough spotlight. "Pass It On" has a mildly, South African feel to it and the high point comes when Eubanks, Hart and Sipiagin solo simultaneously.
Eubanks contributes the lone non-Holland number, the opening "The Sum Of All Parts." This track is the one that's most identifiable with Holland's quintet recordings, as there are some crafty pairing-offs of musicians. Eubanks and Harland alone play initially, and after the horn players state the main thematic line, Holland solos sublimely over Miller's comping. The last section has Hart and Sipiagin playing in unison while Eubanks provides a counterpoint. It's long been a Holland hallmark to have his players play with and against each other at the same time that makes his brand of jazz so gratifying to listen to.
Coming after a long string of quintet records that have been uniformly great, it takes some adjustment to settle into the larger, fuller sound provided by a sextet. Having a piano player on a Holland record is another transition longtime Holland listeners must make. Once you get past that, though, Pass It On reveals that Dave Holland can lead a sextet with nearly as much creativity and polish as his records with leaner ensembles. In some spots they are even a match for those excellent earlier efforts.
With the high standards Dave Holland has long-ago established for his records, Pass It On is a safe pickup for anyone craving challenging, original hard-bop played by some of the best jazz musicians out there today.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
nice review pico. man, Holland seems to have an endless pool of interesting ideas to draw from. he never disappoints me.