Pathways marks the recording debut of the Dave Holland Octet and the fourth album
to be released on Holland s own Dare2 label. The players should be familiar to Holland
fans : Chris Potter (tenor, soprano), Robin Eubanks (trombone), Steve Nelson (vibes, marimba), and Nate Smith (drums). Added to the front-line are other Holland collaborators
Antonio Hart (alto), Alex Sipiagin (trumpet), and Gary Smulyan (baritone). Holland returned to New York s Birdland to record Pathways
capturing this incredible group of improvisers in full flight.

Says Holland, – I had always loved the sound of the Duke Ellington small groups, often with a five horn front-line plus the rhythm section. The combination of two brass and three saxes gives access to a wide range of textures and colors and allows a composer to evoke the sound of a big band or create the more intimate sound of a small group. I also wanted a project that would include at its core my regular working quintet and build the music around what we had already developed as a small group. -