Also this issue:

Aimless by Design
Indie elders Yo La Tengo finally get their day in the Sun.
-Sam Adams

Prcss of Elimination
Estranged rock band converges on Philly and drops the vowels.
-Maura Johnston

Klasik Sundayz
-Ainé Ardron-Doley

Levon Helm & The Barn Burners
-Nicole Pensiero

The Postal Service
-Paul Burress

Assemblage 23
-Helen Thompson

Kevin Burke
-Mary Armstrong

Evgeny Kissin
-Peter Burwasser

April 17-23, 2003

musicpicks

Dave Holland Quintet

Easily one of the best jazz bands to emerge in the past half-dozen years, the Dave Holland Quintet takes dynamic interplay to the nth degree. Holland is a bass virtuoso with roots in electric Miles and the '70s avant garde, and both experiences surface here. Saxophonist Chris Potter and trombonist Robin Eubanks are a dream team up front, and vibist Steve Nelson and drummer Billy Kilson fill out one of the more elastic rhythm sections on the scene. At the root is Holland, whose sound fills a room even when seemingly buried by a torrent of other sounds. The ensemble's last CD, Not for Nothin' (ECM), was a tour de force, and their next -- a yet-untitled live release -- could be even better. Anyone who's caught the band before can testify to its sheer, infectious energy. If you've ever complained about jazz being stale, this could be the ticket of the season.

Wed., April 23, 7 p.m., $20, Zellerbach Theatre, 3680 Walnut St., 215-898-3900.

—Kyle Parker