Bill McBirnie is a Canadian jazz and Latin flutist of exceptional calibre who is garnering excellent critiques - as well as airplay - internationally.
Bill is also a teacher, clinician and woodwind columnist with Canadian Musician magazine and is currently serving as the Resident Jazz Flute Specialist at Sir James Galway's Official Web Site.
Please note that Bill is now available for online lessons. Simply go to his Online Lessons page for more information. Here you will also find a Discography with quick links to Sample Tracks from all of Bill's albums as well as direct links to the distributors (CDBaby and iTunes) from whom you can purchase any of his recordings.
Finally, just click on Bill's Shows & Events for current information regarding his forthcoming appearances.
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BILL PERFORMING WITH AL JARREAU AT JAZZ LIVES
Photo by Daniel Stone
BILL DESIGNATED A "HAYNES ARTIST"
Bill has never made a secret of the fact that he has been playing Haynes flutes now for many years. And after 125 years of superior flute making, the Wm. S. Haynes Co. has recently designated Bill as a "Haynes Artist" along with one of his longstanding inspirations, Hubert Laws. Bill's choice of the Haynes flute is the same as that of some of his earliest and most significant influences on the instrument including classical flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal, jazz flutist Herbie Mann, and fellow Canadian flutist Moe Koffman.
WINNER IN THE JAZZ FLUTE SOLOIST COMPETITION
(FROM THE 2012 NFA CONVENTION IN LAS VEGAS)
Bill has been selected as a winner in the inaugural Jazz Flute Soloist Competition at the 40th annual National Flute Association (NFA) convention, held August 9-12 in Las Vegas, Nevada (…thereby ensuring some "Canadian content" in the course of the proceedings…)
Bill has also been a past winner in the NFA Jazz Flute Masterclass Competition (2003) and the NFA Jazz Flute Big Band Competition (2009).
[NOTE: The NFA was founded in 1972 in the USA and is international in scope. It has grown to become one of the largest instrumental organizations in the world (and certainly the largest with respect to the flute) with more than 6,000 members from more than 50 countries. The NFA Jazz Flute Soloist Competition, held for the first time this year, is to be conducted on a biennial basis hereafter.]
NEW RELEASE - FOUR 80 EAST - OFF DUTY
I got a chance to play on Four80East's new release, Off Duty. This is the sixth album for a band has been together 15 years, during which time it has been at the forefront of the so-called 'nu jazz movement'. So, of course, it was a real honour to get this call! You can purchase Off Duty as well as listen to FULL streams of ALL of the tracks on this really cool release if you just click here.
…And, while your listening, here are a couple of initial responses from the critics regarding two of the tracks…
- "…Some of the unique sounds on this new release come from the duo’s spirited interactions with flutist, Bill McBirnie, and longtime Four80East contributors Jon Stewart (saxophones) and Bryden Baird (trumpet)…The crisp and funky opening electro-jazz track,'THE WALKER',…features a standout flute element…'IN THE HIDDEN GARDEN' uncovers a host of chilled-out delights from a colorful Rhodes melody over a hypnotic groove to Baird’s muted trumpet melody and McBirnie’s whimsical flute solo…" (JONATHAN WIDRAN, JazzMonthly.com)
- "…Kicking the party off is THE WALKER with a flash-fried, funkalicious groove incorporating a hip-hop beat with programming that is used to incredible effect. As one that has a tendency to keep most things 'contemporary' at arms length, I love this! Bill McBirnie delivers the goods on flute with infectious solos and a deceptively subtle techno/house vibe that is guaranteed to make your musical back leg shake. The most creative work to come out of the contemporary side of jazz in years…" (BRENT BLACK, @criticaljazz)
BILL MCBIRNIE NOMINATED FOR AN IMA IN THE USA
Bill's recent release, Mercy, has been nominated in the USA for the 10th Annual Independent Music Awards (IMAs) in the best Jazz Album category.
Based in the USA, the IMAs are international in scope with submissions from 70 countries across six continents. Bill is the sole Canadian amongst the remaining American nominees in the Jazz Album category.
Based in the USA, the IMAs are international in scope with submissions from 70 countries across six continents. Bill is the sole Canadian amongst the remaining American nominees in the Jazz Album category.
Both the IMA nominees and winners are determined on the basis of artistic merit and this year's judges in the Jazz category include McCoy Tyner, Arturo Sandoval and Lee Ritenour.
The IMA also provides a Vox Populi jukebox where you can listen to all of the nominees and vote for your favourite. You can read an interview with Bill and listen to a complete sample track from Mercy here.
The IMA also provides a Vox Populi jukebox where you can listen to all of the nominees and vote for your favourite. You can read an interview with Bill and listen to a complete sample track from Mercy here.
With respect to Mercy, the IMAs selected the track, "I'm Walkin'" (the old Fats Domino hit), which features Bill on flute, Robi Botos on piano, Pat Collins on bass and John Sumner on drums.
FREE DOWNLOAD
You can now get a free download of the second track, "Willow Weep For Me", from Bill's most recent album entitled, Mercy (featuring Robi Botos). This free download is available at ReverbNation. All you have to do to get it is to click here.
LATEST RELEASE
The Bill McBirnie Duo/Quartet
(Featuring Robi Botos)
Mercy
(Featuring Robi Botos)
Mercy
Following up on his two previously acclaimed acoustic projects (Nature Boy with Mark Eisenman and Paco Paco with Bernie Senensky), “extreme flutist”, Bill McBirnie, has come out swinging and scintillating once again with yet another exceptional acoustic flute release, Mercy.
On Mercy, Bill joins forces with Romani piano sensation, Robi Botos, for a series of duos and, for the remaining quartet pieces, Bill couples Robi with a steadfast rhythm section consisting of the sure-footed Pat Collins on bass and the rock-solid John Sumner on drums.
Mercy presents a diverse—as well as gratifying—mix of both duo and quartet tracks that run the gamut from bebop (“Yardbird Suite”) to bossa nova (“Gentle Rain”) right through to Dixieland (“Way Down Yonder in New Orleans”). Included with the more standard fare is the title track, “Mercy”, a poignant rhapsody written by pianist, Robi Botos.
In keeping with Bill’s previous two Extreme Flute releases, Mercy remains faithful to the spontaneous and down-to-earth qualities of a blowing session resulting in another album with inevitable “drop-the-needle-anywhere” charm and allure.
Mercy clocks in at 60:00 minutes and, in so doing, provides precisely one hour of great listening with repertoire that consists of the following (including the opening two tracks which pay tribute to Bill's longstanding influences, Hubert Laws and Jeremy Steig respectively):
(1) Baila Cinderella (Hubert Laws) – cha cha cha
(2) Willow Weep For Me (Ann Ronell) – ballad
(3) Airegin (Sonny Rollins) – bebop
(4) Stuffy Turkey (Thelonious Monk) – medium swing
(5) Gentle Rain (Louis Bonfa) – slow bossa nova
(6) I’m Walkin’ (Bartholomew/Domino) – medium swing
(7) Yardbird Suite (Charlie Parker) – bebop
(8) Way Down Yonder In New Orleans (Creamer/Layton) – Dixieland
(9) Moment’s Notice (John Coltrane) – up swing
(10) Minha Saudade (Joao Donato) – medium bossa nova
(11) Groovin’ High (Dizzy Gillespie) – bebop
(12) Mercy (Robi Botos) – slow rhapsody
Mercy is now available at major retailers and online at iTunes. You can also purchase Mercy at CD Baby in the US or, alternatively, you can order it directly from the distributor, Indie Pool, here in Canada by mail, phone or secure e-commerce.
Mercy is now available at major retailers and online at iTunes. You can also purchase Mercy at CD Baby in the US or, alternatively, you can order it directly from the distributor, Indie Pool, here in Canada by mail, phone or secure e-commerce.
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A Brief Summary of Some of Bill's Awards & Achievements
- Wm. S. Haynes Co. - Designated a "Haynes Artist" - 2013
- National Flute Association - Winner - Jazz Flute Soloist Competition - 2012
- USA Independent Music Awards - Nominated - Best Jazz Album (Mercy) - 2011
- National Flute Association - Winner - Jazz Flute Big Band Competition - 2009
- National Jazz Awards - Nominated - Best Album (Paco Paco) - 2007
- Nominated - Best Instrumentalist (Flute) - 2007- Resident Jazz Flute Specialist at Sir James Galway's Official Web Site - 2005
- Top 40 Album - Jazz.FM91 & "Jazz With Bob Parlocha" (Nature Boy) - 2003
- National Flute Association - Winner - Jazz Flute Masterclass Competition - 2003
- The Jazz Report - Flutist of the Year - 1999h
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ALL OF BILL'S ALBUMS ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT CD BABY
