Released on Holland's own label, Dare2 Records, Unchartered Territories, is the first album under his name to focus almost exclusively on free improv. It reunites the bassist with Evan Parker, a long-time friend whom he got to know when he moved to London in the mid-1960s. Their early association was documented on the album Karyōbin by Spontaneous Music Ensemble, recorded in 1968. Named after the imaginary birds that are said to live in paradise, Holland on bass and Parker on soprano saxophone were joined by Kenny Wheeler, Derek Bailey and John Stevens (the album was re-released last year on the Emanem label). But that was then, Unchartered Territories is now, and revisits similar musical territory – what Holland prefers to call “open form improvisation”. The album came about after Holland sat-in with Parker's trio at London's Vortex Jazz Club, and plans were put in hand to record a duo album in spring last year. Holland subsequently had the idea of inviting Ches Smith and Craig Taborn to the session, and in addition to the quartet configuration, they also worked in duo and trio permutations: piano and percussion; tenor and bass; organ and vibes; piano, bass and percussion and so on. Other than two Smith compositions – ‘Thought on Earth’ and ‘Unsteady As She Goes’ – the album is spontaneously conceived. ‘Thought on Earth’ is a path not subsequently followed on the album but yielded much potential, featuring the lyrical side of Parker's playing against bowed bass and the shifting textures of piano and vibes. It perhaps serves to highlight how episodic this musical odyssey is, and suggests that the interaction of this quartet over sustained periods of improv, would, like Karyōbin, yield a more rounded statement you could get your teeth into.

Jazzwise spoke to Dave Holland about the album

What are your recollections of Evan on the London Jazz scene of the late 1960s, prior to your departure for the US in 1968?

I actually lived in London from 1964 to 1968 and it was during this period that we met and started playing music together. One of the places that we played was called The Little Theatre Club, where the drummer John Stevens hosted a late-night session. In 1968 we recorded the album Karyōbin that also featured guitarist Derek Bailey and trumpeter Kenny Wheeler. The connections we established in that period have continued to the present.

How did you hook-up with Evan after so long?

Our friendship continued after I moved to New York and on several occasions we played and recorded music together. When I visited London we'd often meet for lunch and to catch up on things. Early last year I sat in on a gig he was doing at the Vortex Jazz Club in London and we started talking about a recording.

What was the thinking in breaking the albums down into 23 episodes using various permutations of instruments?

We were in the studio for two days and ended up with nearly six hours of recorded material. I felt that exploring the possibilities of each format would give variety to the sound and pacing of the album and allow us to consider the creative possibilities of each format.

Some tracks are relatively short and suggest sketches for further development, so do you plan to revisit some of the directions you explored here?

There are only three tracks that had some preconceived compositional elements that created a context for the improvisations. All other pieces were spontaneously created and built on our collective interaction so any ‘revisiting’ would produce new results.

Is a duo album with Evan, as you originally planned, still on the cards?

It's possible, but there are no plans at the moment.