“Just arrived in England”, bassist Dave Holland tweeted at the weekend. He’s here, he says, to record with Julian Arguelles, John Taylor and Martin France, then it’s “four days teaching in Ascot”. Holland is president of the National Youth Jazz Collective and he’s teaching at their national youth summer school held in the Berkshire town. Artistic director Issie Barratt, Anton Browne, Nic France, Jim Hart, Mark Lockheart, Martin Speake and Mike Walker are among other well known musicians who are also teaching there this week. 

Holland’s latest album Prism is to be released on 2 September the cover of which you can see on the right, and it's the debut of his new band, the first for Sony Classical’s newly reborn OKeh label. Tracks are: ‘The Watcher’, ‘The Empty Chair’, ‘Choir’, ‘Spirals’, ‘The Color of Iris’, ‘A New Day’, ‘The True Meaning of Determination’, ‘Evolution’, and ‘Breathe’.

Prism toured in continental Europe last year but has yet to play anywhere in the UK. The band besides Holland has keyboardist Craig Taborn, who’s recently released his own trio album Chants to acclaim, plus Charles Lloyd’s remarkable drummer Eric Harland and guitarist Kevin Eubanks, who released The Messenger last year. The latter, an ex-Tonight Show bandleader, goes way back with Holland as the pair plus Mino Cinelu had a good thing going in the mid-1990s on their album World Trio. Fans of Holland will this year have already heard the bassist on the previously unreleased Miles Davis release Live in Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2. Prism will play their first UK dates on 2 and 3 November at Ronnie Scott’s in London, as previously revealed in Marlbank, hallowed turf for the Wolverhampton-born US-based 66-year-old.

Dave Holland above over to record with Julian Arguelles, John Taylor and Martin France and to teach at National Youth Jazz Collective summer school