Dave Holland: Conference of the Birds

Jazz was exploring new horizons during the 1970s, dancing on the divide between consonance and dissonance, Europe and African-American elements, traditions and anti-traditions. Sometimes the experiments faltered but at other moments they coalesced into something fresh and never before heard. Conference of the Birds is one of those magical recordings where everything clicks. This performance sounded inspired and sui generis when I first heard it, and still captivates me today. I could try to trace the influences. Do I detect a Celtic tinge? Am I crazy when I actually hear the birds singing in this piece? Never mind, just listen and enjoy one of the great tracks of the decade.