Steve Nelson is a master on vibes and marimba, painting a broad tonal palette with two, three, or four mallets. At times he was the keeper or (with Holland) the co-conspirator of groove, as on "Last Minute Man" and "What Goes Around"; in other instances he owned the melody, as on his "Go Fly a Kite" where his heavily sustained tones evoked Asian-tinged chimes, a melody that seemed to beg for lyrics. Nelson's sleight of hand attack looks effortless, as does his ability to respond to all that is going on around him, most notably on "High Wire" where he anwered Potter's squeals and top-to-bottom runs with matching rhythms. At times it seemed that the vibes got lost in a swirl of brass, but then Nelson would come seemingly out of nowhere with a crystalline accent, a melodic line, a grand announcement of his presence and importance to the whole.

If there were any questions that Nate Smith could adequately replace Billy Kilson behind the drum kit, all were answered in definitive terms by the end of the first tune. From the opening clave of "Global Citizen" to his ferocious firestorm on "What Goes Around," Smith was in high gear, constantly moving, responding or provoking with his shifting rhythms and instantaneous changes in dynamics that kicked sonic dust all over the Dakota stage.

And Dave Holland? In a world replete with magnificent bassists, he may be the master of them all. His solo on the opening "Global Citizen" was a remarkable display of agility and fluency--taken at break-neck speed, there were no perceptible gaps from one note to another, all expressed with seamless shifts, and all sustained for an exhausting three minutes. His ostinato from the lowest register introduced "Last Minute Man," while his playful exchange with Smith provided a mesmerizing beat in the final bars. On "High Wire" he played a running, not walking, bass line, interrupted briefly with a melodic, slow tempo solo.

As virtuosic a bassist as is Dave Holland, it is his arrangements and leadership that push this quintet into the stratosphere. While the Quintet (and Big Band) bear his name, these are not ensembles that serve the bassist, but ensembles serving that "full spectrum" of music, where every element is important at all times. He takes the spotlight now and then but generally turns it over to the other musicians; his recordings and live performances are used to showcase the compositions and artistry of all. His arrangements are multi-layered concoctions that result in a rich orchestral sound, a sound that could fool you into thinking that the Big Band, not Quintet, was on stage at the Dakota. In this sense, Dave Holland seems like an extension of Ellington into the 21^st century, and indeed, his "What Goes Around" is a marvelous, Caravan-like cacophony, where the caravan has been rerouted from desert to urban rush hour. Ellington would have loved it.

The Dave Holland Quintet will be at Birdland in New York City, October 20-23. After a few stops in Europe, the Quintet (with Antonio Hart filling in for Chris Potter) will be at the Painted Bridge Art Center in Philadelphia, November 19 (215-925-9914), and at Wellin Hall of Hamilton College in Clinton, NY on November 20 (315-859-4350).