Dave Holland: Four Winds

Dave Holland said the inspiration for his album Conference of the Birds came from the birds that gathered outside his London apartment early in the morning, and you can hear it in the music. The opener, Four Winds, is a high-flying number that has the saxophones of Sam Rivers and Anthony Braxton fluttering above the frenetic interplay of Hollands bass and Barry Altschuls stick work. Things move so fast its hard to imagine how anyone kept track of the tempo here. Conference of the Birds is Hollands masterpiece, and it was his debut as a leader! This may be the most auspicious freshman effort in the history of jazz.