Bassist

The Canadian trumpeter and composer Kenny Wheeler (1930 - 2014) was one of the quieter but all the more powerful figures in jazz. His move to Great Britain in 1952 was what we would today call a »match«, a happy and momentous encounter. A lyrical melancholic (»sad music makes me happy«) met the hard-hitting sound and broad rhythm of northern English brass bands and, with an irrepressible desire for freedom, mixed some of the most important and influential large ensemble recordings of the last 60 years.

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NDR Bigband / Norma Winstone / Dave Holland / Nikki Iles

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

Both recognized without dispute as one of the finest jazz interpreters on his instrument, guitarist John Scofield and bassist Dave Holland join forces. These longtime colleagues bring their diverse musical backgrounds and infinite talents to the stage, each contributing original compositions and putting their stamp on a selection of jazz standards as well. Those familiar with their individual artistry can expect nothing less than a unique and compelling meeting of their musical minds-virtuosity, enjoyment, and depth.

John Scofield and Dave Holland Duo

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

International Jazz Artist in Residence and NEA Jazz Hall Of Fame inductee, bassist Dave Holland, is one of the most influential jazz musicians in the world.

Academy Jazz Orchestra With Dave Holland

Susie Sainsbury Theatre

Dave Holland is a renowned bassist, composer and bandleader with an abiding passion for musical expression. He has dedicated himself tirelessly to creating consistently innovative ensembles, which has propelled a professional career of more than fifty years. As a guiding light on acoustic and electric bass, Holland has earned top honors in his field. To that end, he holds multiple Grammy Awards and nominations and received the title of NEA Jazz Master in 2017. People widely revere Holland’s virtuosic technique and rhythmic feel, and he remains much in demand. Moreover, he shapes his sound with an open-eared respect of a formidable spread of styles and sounds. Additionally, you can hear his playing on hundreds of recordings, including more than thirty as a leader.

Dave Holland New Quartet

Dakota

First assembled for an SFJAZZ performance during the 2017-18 Season, this historic convergence of instrumental giants returns for night four of Dave Holland’s residency, showcasing the singular telepathy they’ve forged over the last seven years and memorialized on their 2019 Edition Records debut Good Hope.

“One of the most studied (and copied) saxophonists on the planet,” (DownBeat) Chris Potter is a standard bearer of modern jazz, a restless bandleader, SFJAZZ Collective musical director, and collaborator with Pat Metheny, Paul Motian, Herbie Hancock, Jim Hall, and the Mingus Big Band.

Since arriving in the Bay Area as a celebrated teenage prodigy trained by his legendary father Alla Rakha, Zakir Hussain has brought the rhythmic sophistication of North Indian classical music into a diverse array of settings from Shakti to Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum, blazing a mind-boggling array of musical trails.

Dave Holland W/ Chris Potter, & Zakir Hussain

SFJAZZ Center

Throughout his career Dave Holland has established a history for making his bands a proving ground for promising young instrumentalists, but this trio is a true all-star assemblage of jazz heavyweights, each an established bandleader and composer who represents the world standard. The group performs the funk-informed material from Holland’s latest Edition Records album, 2019’s Another Land, which features the searing, soulful guitar work of Kevin Eubanks along with the percussive fire of former SFJAZZ Collective drummer Obed Calvaire. Rhythmic genius Eric Harland, a regular Holland collaborator since 2008’s Pass It On, stands in for Calvaire on this date.

Dave Holland Trio

The iconic bassist’s second night of residency features the Bay Area premiere of his new quartet of masters, each an established bandleader and composer, including alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, pianist Kris Davis, and drummer Nasheet Waits.

Known to SFJAZZ audiences through his standout 2022 performance with drummer Nate Smith’s KINFOLK, Philadelphia-born Shaw is the standard bearer for young altoists in the 21st century.

Davis was named Pianist of the Year in the 2020 DownBeat Critics Poll and has recorded 24 albums as leader or co-leader, winning a GRAMMY for her work on Terri Lyne Carrington’s New Standard Vol. 1.

Inspired interplay is a given as the bass legend begins his week in an intimate duo performance with the visionary pianist and composer Kris Davis.

Since her emergence on the New York scene in 2001, Davis has become one of the music’s singular talents—a deeply thoughtful, resolutely individual artist whose music lives at the intersection of jazz improvisation and contemporary classical composition. The Vancouver-born Davis was named Pianist of the Year in the 2020 DownBeat Critics Poll and dubbed one of the music’s top up-and-comers by The New York Times. She’s led or co-led 24 albums and won a GRAMMY for her contributions to SFJAZZ Resident Artistic Director Terri Lyne Carrington’s landmark 2022 release New Standards Vol. 1.

Dave Holland & Kris Davis

As a soloist, composer and bandleader, saxophonist Chris Potter has emerged as a leading light of his generation. DownBeat called him, “One of the most studied (and copied) saxophonists on the planet,” while JazzTimes identified him as, “a figure of international renown” and saxophonist Dave Liebman called him simply, “one of the best musicians around.”

Bassist

Dave Holland

Events

Past events

Jun 21, 2026

NDR Bigband / Norma Winstone / Dave Holland / Nikki Iles · Elbphilharmonie

Sep 6, 2025

John Scofield and Dave Holland Duo · Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

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