NEW RELEASES : In Brief : *** 1/2 Dave Holland, “Extensions,” ECM.

These quietly rewarding performances have the offhand intensity of a late-night session in which the musicians are focused more on testing themselves than on impressing an audience. The half-dozen originals by Holland, saxophonist Steve Coleman and guitarist Kevin Eubanks set intricately woven melodies against mixed funk and swing rhythms anchored by the leader’s supple riffs. Even the muted, compressed production can’t detract from these striking efforts.

Albums are rated on a scale of one asetrisk (poor) to four (excellent). A rating of five asterisks is reserved for classic reissues or retrospectives.