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DCist Preview: The Overtone Quartet @ the Kennedy Center

The Overtone Quartet
The Overtone Quartet (clockwise from upper left): Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Eric Harland, Jason Moran
Jazz supergroups always make me nervous. A promoter or artist assembles an all-star cast of musicians in order to sell tickets, and they generally do, but the music is often lacking. Group improvisation requires everyone to be on the same page, listening to one another. If there are too many cooks in the kitchen, and too many oversized egos, the resulting music is often less than the sum of its parts. But bassist Dave Holland assures us this is not the case when it comes to his most recent collaboration, the Overtone Quartet, which will be performing on Saturday at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater. While the members of Overtone convened for the first time as a band for a series of shows in New York last month, there are deep connections among its members.

"In this case, relationships go back 20 years, so [the band] wasn't put together because it looks good on paper. This came out of a musical content and context," Holland told DCist.

Holland and Overtone saxophonist Chris Potter have worked together quite a bit, having recently visited the area with the great Herbie Hancock. Rounding out the quartet are drummer Eric Harland, the junior member of the band, who plays regularly with pianist Jason Moran. Moran's last visit to the area was a memorable tribute to Thelonious Monk. All four of the members contribute compositions to Overtone, much of which was written with this lineup in mind.

"There's a range of stuff we're doing that gives the band a very big language to deal with," Holland said. "The music can go a lot of places with this particular combination of people."

Despite Holland's most democratic efforts, it is he who is the focus of attention in this group, often mistakenly called the group's leader. This must be expected because of his stature as a jazz bassist. Having played with Miles Davis on such seminal recordings as In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew, the British native's 40-year recording career includes nearly two dozen albums as a leader and scores more as a sideman. This weekend will also find him acting as judge for the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, which will culminate on Sunday.

During our interview, Holland also spoke of his appreciation for the District, where he has been performing since the late 1960s. Noting how the "stark contrast in the quality of life" left an impression on him during early visits, he also highlighted the city's "great energy," and recalled performances at the old DC Space (now a Starbucks at 7th & E, NW), and gigs with the sorely missed Betty Carter.

Not one for nostalgia, Holland is quick to see the potential in this current band.

"I hope [the audience's] spirits are raised by it," he said. "I don't really deal with expectations, I deal with what's happening."

The Overtone Quartet will perform 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. sets in the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater on Saturday, Oct. 10. Tickets are $35.

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By Sriram Gopal in on October 9, 2009 10:15 AM

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