The bassist so often is the ballast and foundation of the harmonic and rhythmic drive and legs of the band. The perspective seems all hearing and seeing as a rhythm section board piece the player surveys by sight and by ear the directions and impulses of the whole band. Sometimes, like the orchestra’s conductor, the bassist will not only oversee the pace but will also be essential in conveying mood and color.
In an interview with Sussex Jazz Magazine, Holland explored his composer side. He spoke about thinking about the sound of the band he’s writing for and the way the members play. In his words, he expanded on this thought: “…So that’s how I start …I also think about the mood… I feel there’s a very symbiotic relationship between composing and playing – one feeds the other.”
Maybe this is like the way the visual artist is as involved with the physical actions of animating a canvas as they may be with the creative results of the actions?
Holland’s artistry is in the very animation of musical ideas and his canvas is the band.