Born in the Midlands of England in 1946, Dave Holland is now recognised as one of the biggest names in jazz. His CV is studded with names like Hawkins, Monk and Webster, and the fact that he played on classic Miles Davis albums like In a Silent Way and Bitch's Brew confirms that permanent place on Parnassus.
But Parnassus is a long way from Wolverhampton, where Holland first progressed from ukulele to guitar. He was just 10 years old as rock 'n' roll began to hit Britain, and by the time he was 13, his band was busily playing at dances all around Birmingham. It was the start of what seemed like a fairly typical career for an English musician: from skiffle to Johnny Ray to blues. So how come he didn't end up in a successful beat group like the Rolling Stones?
"I was always looking for other things. I wanted to expand my knowledge of music, and I began researching bass players. And when I came across Ray Brown's name in the Downbeat Poll I bought some records with him on them, and that's basically what changed my whole direction. Leroy Vinnegar was the other one. The possibilities of what could be done with the bass were suddenly presented to me, and the impact on me was tremendous. And so I switched to the acoustic instrument and started practising."
By the age of 17, Holland was earning a living playing that brand new double bass. And while he was listening intently to jazz, he continued to serve his time in dance bands, one of which went on the road with "the Nabob of Sob", Johnny Ray. It was certainly a valuable time for Holland, but the music on those jazz records must have seemed so dauntingly different to anything he was playing or had ever played before.
"Yes, it was a much more sophisticated music, but it did have its roots in the blues. And blues has always been an influence on pop music so there were certain connections, too. So I just talked to all the musicians I worked with and asked for their help. That's really how you learn music in the community because nobody works in isolation. And I've always been lucky enough to have people around me who could show me the ropes."
Holland eventually moved to London and, with his sights set on becoming a studio musician, he began taking bass lessons. His teacher, James Merrit, was principal bassist with The London Philharmonic Orchestra, and it was on his recommendation that Holland started a three-year course at the Guildhall School of Music. Years later, Holland was to become a respected teacher himself, with many of today's young jazz stars turning up for instruction, wisdom, guidance and clues. It's a role Holland takes very seriously.
"There is always a danger when you systematise an approach to music. But I feel that jazz education has to be based on contact between musicians, and that can happen in an academic situation. And it must allow the individuality of the musician to develop. That's one of the things which is crucial to this music. Musicians involved in jazz have always come to their own conclusions, based on what they have learned from other musicians. They must develop their own ideas. Individuality is very highly prized in this music."
The 1960s were a busy time for jazz in England, largely because of the appeal of Dixieland music played by chirpy chappies in bowler hats. And while Holland took his place with a few of these neo-trad outfits, he was increasingly anxious to meet young musicians who wanted to play something rather more cutting edge. Before long he was working with people like John McLaughlin and Kenny Wheeler and, inspired by Charles Mingus, Jimmy Garrison and Ron Carter, he set about bringing something new to the London scene.
"Yes, Kenny Ball and those guys were working in a certain area of music, but there were other parallel things going on, like Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott. And I connected up with some of the younger players who were interested the new music. We got a working space at Ronnie Scott's new club, and that was so important. Without it, the whole scene in London would have been very different. It allowed us to put on music seven nights a week. We'd come out of that club and the sun would be up. It was incredible. Often we were trying to create music in the style of the people we were influenced by, but out of that grew our own individual approaches. That's how you develop - you learn the music from a lot of different perspectives, and then you decide what elements are important to your own direction."
One night in 1968, Holland was playing at Ronnie Scott's when Miles Davis walked in and invited him to join his quintet. He didn't have to ask twice. A few weeks later, Holland moved to New York for an intensive stint with Davis and his celebrated band of top-notch sidemen. And so began a long association with musicians like Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea and Jack de Johnette. Even when Holland left Miles in 1970, he continued to work with all his old colleagues on many occasions and in different formats.
"One of the things you try to do is to play with the best people you can find because it helps you reach for higher levels of playing within yourself. Having the opportunity to play with Miles certainly had that effect on me. At the same time you realise how much you have to learn. I was 21 years old when I joined Miles's band, and it was a great challenge for me just to keep up with the group and to feel I was really contributing. That took a little while. But I jumped into it and figured I'd do the best I could. At the very least I'd have the experience of working with Miles for a period of time. I never thought it would last as long as it did."
These days, touring for six to eight months of the year, Holland keeps up a very busy schedule. Much in demand as a recording artist and live performer, his recent duties include work with Cassandra Wilson, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Jim Hall, Joe Lovano and Terence Blanchard. All that plus work with his own quintet and octet, as he presses further ahead with his very own long-running musical preoccupations. One thing for sure - if they hand out laurels on Parnassus, Dave Holland isn't resting on them.
"Well, you just have to love doing it. One of the things that's very important to me is the communion which happens between musicians - the sharing and the creating of music together is a very important thing. Doing that for an audience is a very important event. Music throughout history has provided many levels of inspiration to people - social and spiritual. I think it has always had an important place in people's lives. It allows them to elevate outside of their own problems and to see a high level of co-operation and social interaction. But the bottom line for me is an emotional involvement with it. It has been part of my life from my earliest memories. I just love it."
The Dave Holland Octet plays Vicar Street, Dublin, tomorrow night in a concert presented in association with the new Irish Times entertainment guide, The Ticket.
Prime Directive - the Dave Holland Quintet is on ECM Records