Bill McBirnie - Extreme Flute

Artist Information

Biography

Bill McBirnie is a jazz and Latin flute specialist based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He has studied with renowned American flutist, Samuel Baron, distinguished Canadian flutist and composer, Robert Aitken, as well as Cuban charanga legend, Richard Egues. Bill’s extraordinary level of skill as a flutist also prompted a personal solicitation from no less than Sir James Galway to serve as his resident Jazz Flute Specialist at Sir James' official web site.

Bill is well known for his outstanding technique. However, he is also recognized as an exceptional improviser (notably in the bebop, swing and Latin idioms) as demonstrated by his numerous recordings as a sideman with the likes of Junior Mance, Irakere, Memo Acevedo and Emilie-Claire Barlow. Needless to say, Bill has performed and recorded extensively with Toronto's finest musicians and has been a longstanding charter member of Bernie Senensky's Moe Koffman Tribute Band. Here are a few illustrative comments regarding Bill's work:

- "Dear Maestro McBirnie, ...This just blew me away. Great, great playing...Innovative...I have never heard anyone play like this...Great technique and music making. The scales are so even it sounds like he wrote the Taffanel scale book...Bill, when you read this, I have to take my hat off to you. This is great playing by any standard." SIR JAMES GALWAY (Galway-Flute-Chat)

- “In both duo and quartet formats, McBirnie dazzles...In every instance, his technique is flawless, dynamic and often simply jaw-dropping...McBirnie has been called Canada’s standout jazz flautist. I maintain he is one of the top two or three in the world." MARK E. GALLO (JazzReview.com)

- "A distinguished flutist with a devotion that shows up in the airy sweetness of his sound at ballad tempos and in the remarkable control he can bring to rapid-fire, skittering runs on up tempo, Coltrane-inspired material." STUART BROOMER (Editor, Coda magazine)

- "McBirnie has always handled bop exceptionally well. You can hear his years at the conservatory in his sound, a pure, transparent tone at rest, brightening with exertion, yet he swings like someone who grew up with a large collection of Blue Note and Prestige LPs down in the basement. He's entirely idiomatic, but also effortlessly inventive." MARK MILLER (The Globe and Mail)

- "...All beautifully recorded, unclassifiable, and virtually timeless..." MICHAEL STEINMAN (Cadence Magazine)

Bill has produced two Extreme Flute projects as well as two straight-ahead acoustic jazz recordings under his own name entitled Nature Boy (featuring The Mark Eisenman Trio) and Paco Paco (featuring pianist, Bernie Senensky). Both of these latter albums have attained Top 40 spots at Jazz.FM91 and on Bob Parlocha's US syndicated jazz program as well as receiving recurring air-play in their respective spin cycles. Both albums have also garnered consistently excellent reviews internationally, in Canada, the USA, Britain, Australia, France, Holland and Spain.

Bill's most recent release, Mercy (featuring Romani piano sensation, Robi Botos), has been receiving, yet again, uniformly outstanding reviews throughout North America, Europe and Australia and has also garnered the 2010 Toronto Independent Music Award (TIMA) in the Best Jazz category. Mercy was also nominated in the international US-based Independent Music Awards (IMA) in the Best Jazz Album category in 2011.

In addition, Bill was chosen Flutist of the Year by the Jazz Report Awards, nominated as Miscellaneous Instrumentalist of the Year at the National Jazz Awards and declared a winner in all three of the U.S.A. National Flute Association’s (1) Jazz Flute Soloist, (2) Jazz Flute Masterclass and (3) Jazz Flute Big Band Competitions. Bill has also been a longstanding contributor to the Woodwinds column of the Canadian Musician magazine.


A Brief Summary of Some of Bill's Awards & Achievements:

- Wm. S. Haynes Co. - Designated a "Haynes Artist" in 2013
- National Flute Association - Winner - Jazz Flute Soloist Competition in 2012
- USA Independent Music Awards - Nominated - Best Jazz Album (Mercy) in 2011
- Toronto Independent Music Awards - Winner - Best Jazz Album (Mercy) in 2010
- National Flute Association - Winner - Jazz Flute Big Band Competition in 2009
- National Jazz Awards - Nominated - Best Album (Paco Paco) in 2007
- National Jazz Awards - Nominated - Best Instrumentalist (Flute) in 2007
- Resident Jazz Flute Specialist at Sir James Galway's Official Web Site since 2005
- Top 40 Album - Jazz.FM91 & "Jazz With Bob Parlocha" (Nature Boy) in 2003
- National Flute Association - Winner - Jazz Flute Masterclass Competition in 2003
- The Jazz Report - Flutist of the Year in 1999


- ONLINE FLUTE LESSONS -

IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR, THEN DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME FOR ONLINE FLUTE LESSONS. WE CAN EASILY ARRANGE FOR (1) PRIVATE, PERSONALIZED INSTRUCTION USKING SKYPE AND (2) AN EASY PAYMENT PROCEDURE USING PAYPAL. MY RATE IS $50/HOUR AND YOU CAN REACH ME DIRECTLY AT THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ADDRESS: extremeflute@look.ca

Instrumentation

On "Mercy"
Bill McBirnie - Flute
Robi Botos - Piano
Pat Collins - Bass
John Sumner - Drums

Discography

"Mercy"- Bill McBirnie (with Robi Botos) - 2010
"Paco Paco"- Bill McBirnie (with Bernie Senensky) - 2006
"Nature Boy" - Bill McBirnie (with Mark Eisenman) - 2003
"Scratch It!" - Extreme Flute - 2002
"Desvio" - Extreme Flute (with Bruce Jones) - 1998

For CDs and MP3s, please go to either iTunes or CDBaby ( http://www.cdbaby.com/all/extremeflute )

Official Website

http://www.extremeflute.com

Links

• MySpace
• Facebook

Audio

• The Bill McBirnie Duo/Quartet - I'm Walkin'
  Listen  
• The Bill McBirnie Duo/Quartet - Yardbird Suite
  Listen  
• The Bill McBirnie Duo/Quartet - Willow Weep For Me
  Listen  
• Like Sonny (from Paco Paco)
  Listen  
• My Song (from Paco Paco)
  Listen  

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Bill McBirnie Designated a "Haynes Artist" [+ Show ]
  

  Bill has never made a secret of the fact that he has been playing Haynes flutes for many, many years...Bill has never made a secret of the fact that he has been playing Haynes flutes for many, many years. And now, after 125 years of superior flute making, the Wm. S. Haynes Co. has designated him a "Haynes Artist" (along with one of Bill's longstanding inspirations, Hubert Laws). Bill's brand choice is also the same as some of his earliest significant influences such as classical flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal, jazz flutist Herbie Mann, and fellow Canadian jazz flutist Moe Koffman.
  

• Bill McBirnie Wins the 2012 NFA Jazz Flute Soloist Competition [+ Show ]
  

  Bill McBirnie was selected as a winner in the inaugural Jazz Flute Soloist Competition at the 40th a...Bill McBirnie was 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.
  
  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, will be conducted on a biennial basis.]
  

• Mercy Nominated for an Independent Music Award in the US [+ Show ]
  

  After winning a Toronto Indepedent Music Award (TIMA) for Mercy in the best Jazz album category, Can...After winning a Toronto Indepedent Music Award (TIMA) for Mercy in the best Jazz album category, Canadian for 2010, jazz flutist Bill McBirnie's recent release, Mercy, has been nominated in the USA for the 2011 Annual Independent Music Awards (IMA).
  
  Although the IMA are based in the USA, they are international in scope with submissions from 70 countries across six continents. [Note: Bill is the sole Canadian nominee amongst the remaining American nominees in the IMA Jazz album category.] Furthermore, 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 as well as vote for your favourite. Here is the link:
  
  http://www.independentmusicawards.com/imanominee/10th/Album/Jazz
  
  With respect to the nomination of Mercy, the IMA selected the track, "I'm Walkin'" (the old Fats Domino hit), as a sample cut which features Bill on flute, Robi Botos on piano, Pat Collins on bass and John Sumner on drums.
  
  Here is just one extract from a recent review of Mercy by Paul J. Youngman (All About Jazz): "[T]echnical magnificence. McBirnie is one of the best living jazz flautists in the world while Botos, an award-winning pianist, is one of the strongest jazz piano players on the scene today. Together, they have produced a power-packed album that highlights their virtuosic talents. Technically stunning musicianship is offset with powerful emotions that combine grace and beauty, providing a bountiful feast of audio delight."
  
  Finally, please be advised that Bill now has a new web site located at the following link:
  
  http://www.extremeflute.com
  

• Reaction to Mercy [+ Show ]
  

  “I have been listening to your record, non-stop, for the past two days and I can only say, it is AMA...“I have been listening to your record, non-stop, for the past two days and I can only say, it is AMAZING...Fantastic!...” SIR JAMES GALWAY (December 2009)
  
  “Clean, pure, bebop flute. Played with disgusting control and shameless ease. You are a bad boy! And then Robi Botos. That guy is a killer!” HENDRIK MEURKENS (December 2009)
  
  “In both duo and quartet formats, McBirnie dazzles...In every instance, his technique is flawless, dynamic and often simply jaw-dropping...McBirnie has been called Canada’s standout jazz flautist. I maintain he is one of the top two or three in the world. “ (MARK E. GALLO, JazzReview.com)
  
  "Mercy offers a dozen-track, dazzling display of technique, dynamic range and stunning musicality...This is not neo-jazz comfort food but rather a feast of elegantly executed ideas with a live concert vibe...Add quick-witted interplay, adventurous flow, bluster and sophistication and this disc is a keeper." GEOFF CHAPMAN (WholeNote Magazine)
  
  "A diverse selection of sparkling contemporary jazz that commands serious attention...An amazing performance..." EDWARD BLANCO (ejazznews.com)
  
  "McBirnie's explorations are luminous as he makes each note glow...the shades and the contrasts as transparent as the emotion and the verve...So, with each track carving its own beguiling niche, the music is, to put it quite simply, awesome!" JERRY D'SOUZA (AllAboutJazz.com)
  
  "...Effortless rhythmic note placement…fleet and inspired…weaving creative, satisfying, constantly developing melodic lines in masterly fashion…Both the duo and quartet delight and surprise…Mercy is yet another classic hour of top jazz flute in the McBirnie acoustic tradition." (JIM LANGABEER, Flute Focus)
  
  "This new album of Bill's demonstrates that the flute is in the hands of a virtuoso who, beyond any doubt, is able to perform in virtually any style...and it is no accident that the cover of the album itself underscores the contribution of pianist, Robi Botos. The role and impact that this bright young pianist brings to the entire project cannot be overstated. His style and technique is unmistakably reminiscent of the unforgettable Oscar Peterson, so the duos - with just Robi and Bill - are, for me, highlights of the album." LEONID AUSKERN (Jazz Quad, Nestor Publishing, Russia)
  
  "McBirnie is the record's hero. In an unassuming manner, he has recast the way the flute is played. His breathing is easy and sustained and his control is complete. Moreover, he is genuinely one of the most creative flutists...Mercy is a record that flows in gorgeous rivers of sound and one which defines how the modern flute can be played. RAUL D'GAMA (AAJ Senior Editor)
  
  "Bill McBirnie’s new recording, Mercy, has been receiving impressive reviews. I have long regarded Bill as the finest flautist in Canada and his recent CD simply confirms my opinion. Whatever groove he decides to play in, it's perfection. A true technician and master of his instrument." DAVE MILBOURNE (Toronto Jazz)
  
  "There are both hard swinging and tender moments with alternate stops in between in this varied program...A gale force wind from the Great White North..." IRA GITLER (Apple Chorus, Jazz Inside NY, February 2010)
  
  "Mercy, is a true gem...It is mostly McBirnie who takes a stellar turn throughout sharing the spotlight with Robi Botos who is also flawless." RAUL D'GAMA ROSE (Senior Editor, AAJ)
  
  "The diversity in styles, from trad jazz to Latin, does not in any way affect the unity of the recording's theme but creates a unique multifaceted whole thanks to McBirnie's versatility and superlative musicianship...McBirnie swings hard during the up-tempo pieces and shows remarkable sensitivity without losing the creative edge during the duets and ballads with Botos." HRAYR ATTARIAN (AllThatJazz.com)
  
  PLUS SOME TRACKING INFORMATION
  
  Mercy has received very active rotation and is filtering upwards in various spin-cycles as illustrated by the following):
  
  (1) - Mercy reached the "Top 40 New Releases" at the web site of US-syndicated Jazz DJ, Bob Parlocha.
  
  (2) - Mercy was a "Featured Release" at Canada's Premier Jazz Station, JazzFM91.
  
  (3) - Mercy also emerged as a favourite with CBC's foremost jazz radio program, TONIC (CBC Radio 1 & 2), and very soon after its release late in 2009 was chosen for special broadcast on Tim Tamashiro's "Top Ten Recordings of 2009".
  

• "Find Your Place" Finds Its Way To The Top 100 [+ Show ]
  

  - THE IAIRA REPORT - DAILY CHART POSITION UPDATE - TOP 100 Notice DATE: 07/19/2010 ARTIST: Bill...- THE IAIRA REPORT -
  DAILY CHART POSITION UPDATE - TOP 100 Notice
  DATE: 07/19/2010
  ARTIST: Bill McBirnie - Extreme Flute
  RELEASE: “Find your Place”
  CIN: 20100111910
  CHART POSITION: 63
  
  Dear Bill McBirnie - Extreme Flute;
  
  The International Association of Independent Recording Artists, IAIRA, recognizes and honors artistic achievement, technical proficiency, and overall excellence in sound recording by monitoring chart activity as published in various reporting charts from around the world.
  
  According to our records, on 07/19/2010, the above referenced release, “Find your Place”, by Bill McBirnie – Extreme Flute, attained the number 63 position on at least one of the charts monitored and verified by IAIRA. On the basis of that research, IAIRA has qualified the aforementioned release as eligible for certification as an International 'Top 100'.
  
  On behalf of the entire IAIRA staff and the Recording Arts Community at large, please accept our most sincere congratulations and best wishes for your continued success!
  
  Sincerely,
  IAIRA Research Team
  

• New CD Release - Mercy [+ Show ]
  

  The Bill McBirnie Duo/Quartet (Featuring Robi Botos) Mercy Following up on his two previously a...The Bill McBirnie Duo/Quartet
  (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 full-length 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 along with the more standard fare is the title track, “Mercy”, a poignant rhapsody written by pianist, Robi Botos.
  
  Finally, in keeping with Bill’s previous two acoustic 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 (SAMPLE TRACK MOUNTED AT MYSPACE)
  (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 IndiePool.com and CDBaby.com as well as at iTunes.)
  
  [NOTE: Do not hesitate to contact Bill for interviews regarding Mercy. You can reach him directly by email at extremeflute@look.ca or by phone at (416) 652-1541.]

• Additional Press Extracts [+ Show ]
  

  "...A superior jazz flutist...As with many Canadian players, his fame has not often reached below th..."...A superior jazz flutist...As with many Canadian players, his fame has not often reached below the border into the United States but his music is well worth knowing. He sounds unlike anyone else having developed his own musical personality yet within the traditions of the music. McBirnie has two recent releases, Nature Boy and Paco Paco. Both sets are highly recommended." SCOTT YANOW (Los Angeles Jazz Scene)
  
  "Bill McBirnie is one of the finest jazz flute performers in jazz today...His technique is flawless and sensual...Simply excellent!” LEE PROSSER (Jazz Review)
  
  "Toronto's Bill McBirnie occupies the rarefied air of jazz flute with a sense of style and swing that sets him apart. There are precious few flutists who can make the instrument burn with musical intensity the way McBirnie does...McBirnie shows a range of emotional colours on both Latin and jazz standards in duo and quartet configurations...McBirnie deserves to be placed alongside Moe Koffman and Herbie Mann in the pantheon of jazz flute." ANDY SHEPPARD (After Hours, CBC Radio)
  
  "Include Bill McBirnie as an integral player in Canadian jazz. The Toronto-based flautist has marked his credentials through recordings of his own as well as appearances on albums by Junior Mance, Memo Acevedo and Irakere...Listening to McBirnie also makes his credentials clear. He dips into the nectar of a melody and his dulcet tones rise to trigger the core of his imagination for some really fascinating improvisational flights. These facets are made abundantly clear on Paco Paco." JERRY D’SOUZA (All About Jazz)
  
  “...Effortless rhythmic note placement…fleet and inspired…weaving creative, satisfying, constantly developing melodic lines in masterly fashion...Both the duo and quartet delight and surprise...Mercy is yet another classic hour of top jazz flute in the McBirnie acoustic tradition.” JIM LANGABEER (Flute Focus)
  
  "Bill McBirnie has a powerful claim to be Canada's best player on flute...What always stands out is his outstanding tone, agile technique and fecund imagination." GEOFF CHAPMAN (The Toronto Star)
  
  "I highly recommend Nature Boy. The music is joyous and energetic throughout...I'm just itching to play it for some classical flutists I know. I can't wait to see the expressions on their faces when they hear Bill practically turn the flute inside out on Teaneck." MERLIN WILLIAMS (Wholenote Magazine)
  
  "Now that the great Moe Koffman is no longer among us, there's an opening in Canada for an outstanding straight-ahead jazz flutist and, with Nature Boy, Bill McBirnie has submitted his application and staked his claim...In the liner notes, McBirnie is modest about his talents but he needn't be. He has absolutely great chops, a clear sparkling sound and enough luminous ideas to brighten anyone's melancholy frame of mind." JACK BOWERS (All About Jazz)
  
  "With subtle playing, mature and confident swing, beautiful and well-chosen compositions throughout, there is now nothing to stand in the way of Bill McBirnie qualifying for the outstanding reputation he has developed." BERENGERE RICHARD (Traversieres Magazine, The Official Magazine of the French Flute Association)
  
  "With a full tone, pin-sharp articulation, the occasional witty quote and some jazz licks that pay a compliment to the listener who can catch them (and which sometimes evaporate before they can be fully identified), McBirnie demonstrates that he is an impressive performer by any standard...This album is a treasure." DON SMITH (Night Train, 3RPP FM, Australia)
  
  “...[A] masterful performance...[Bill] plays with classical virtuosity, jazz-swing intensity and Latin appassionata...He runs the flute through harmonious, melodic phrasing which is at times gentle as a breeze, but he can build a solo to a gale force wind, never loosing the pleasing, melodic soul of the tune...Superb soloing...Nothing less than fantastic...Masterful brilliance and sumptuous beauty...” PAUL J. YOUNGMAN (Radio Vinilemania)
  
  "Canadian, Bill McBirnie, has good claim to be the instrument's best champion since the late Herbie Mann. A fluid player with a firm command of tone and no interest in the overblown roughness adapted by many flute players after Roland Kirk, McBirnie has his own elegant way with bop, ballads, bossa and gospel." RANDAL MCILROY (Style Manitoba)
  
  "McBirnie is indeed a fluid player with a sound and tone that is absolutely as good as it gets." JOHN GILBERT (ejazznews.com)
  

Setlist

Mercy - CD

(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

Paco Paco - CD

(1) Like Sonny (J. Coltrane) – medium even eighths
(2) Hackensack (T. Monk) – medium up swing
(3) Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus (Duffield/Webb) – mixed grooves
(4) Doxy (S. Rollins) – relaxed swing
(5) Bright Mississippi (T. Monk) – medium swing
(6) My Song (K. Jarrett) - even eighths ballad
(7) Paco Paco (B. Senensky) – brisk samba/swing
(8) East Of The Sun (B. Bowman) – medium swing
(9) This I Dig Of You (H. Mobley) – up swing
(10) Hackensack (T. Monk) (reprise) – medium up swing
(11) The Great City (C. Lewis) - relaxed medium swing
(12) O Grande Amor (Jobim/de Moraes) – slow bossa)

Nature Boy - CD

(1) What A Friend We Have In Jesus (Bonar/Converse) – relaxed swing
(2) Monk’s Dream (Thelonious Monk) – medium swing
(3) Poinciana (Bernier/Simon) – Latin
(4) Lazy Bird (John Coltrane) – fast swing
(5) Blue Lester (Lester Young) – Take 1 – slow swing
(6) Bye Ya (Thelonious Monk) – up swing
(7) Teaneck (Nat Adderley) – bebop
(8) Beatrice (Sam Rivers) – ballad
(9) Billy Boy (Traditional) – medium swing
(10) Blue Lester (Lester Young) – Take 2 – slow swing
(11) Nature Boy (Eden Ahbez) – ballad

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