Jamming in birdland

Darwin said that beauty must be loved by nature to be found so often. Rothenberg, a philosophy teacher and jazz musician, embarks on a playful, exuberant, intellectual journey to unravel the baffling mystery of why and how birds sing, taking us from ancient Sanskrit texts to cutting-edge neuroscience. Besides jamming on his clarinet with a rare Albert’s lyrebird in the rain forests of southern Australia, he researches with composers and scientists to find out why birds put so much energy and invention into singing. We learn that birds settle disputes and cry for love with song.

Rothenberg stalks the mystery brilliantly, but in the end it eludes him. Perhaps, he suggests, that like us, birds sing for joy, simply because they can.

-- Susan Dworski