Jazz Flutist, Bill McBirnie, Wins At The TIMAs

The album, “Mercy," The Bill McBirnie Duo/Quartet (featuring Robi Botos), won the award for Best Jazz at the 2009-2010 TIMA (Toronto Independent Music Awards). Bill thanks the musicians, all of whom made this outcome possible—namely, Robi Botos (piano), Pat Collins (bass) and John Sumner (drums).

In addition, Bill extends special thanks to co-producer, Pacy Shulman of Hilo Studio, who not only engineered but also mixed as well mastered “Mercy." Pacy's workmanship was genuinely acoustic with absolute fidelity to the nature and quality of the musical undertaking (which consisted simply of two blowing sessions). The other TIMA nominees for the Best Jazz category were as follows: The Steve Koven Trio, The Brownman Electryc Trio, Jan Sagar and Rhonda Silver. A full listing of the TIMA award winners and nominees is located here: http://torontoima.com/newith]

Some Reaction to Mercy:

“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)

“It is mostly McBirnie who takes a stellar turn throughout sharing the spotlight with Robi Botos who is also flawless...But 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 true gem... — RAUL D'GAMA ROSE (Senior Editor, AAJ)

Complete on  >>  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=62338

Program:
14 Aug 2010 19:00
Boiler House Restaurant - Toronto, ON, CANADA
21 Aug 2010 14:00
McKay Gallery Garden - Markham, ON, CANADA
21 Aug 2010 19:00
The Boiler House Restaurant - Toronto, ON, CANADA
28 Aug 2010 19:00
Boiler House Restaurant - Toronto, ON, CANADA
31 Aug 2010 12:00
Scarborough Town Centre - Scarborough, ON, CANADA
02 Oct 2010 20:00
Liberty Bistro Toronto, ON, CANADA
12 Feb 2011 18:00
St. Jude's Anglican Church - Oakville, ON, CANADA


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 has also been solicited by 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 recordings as a sideman with Junior Mance, Irakere, Memo Acevedo and Emile-Claire Barlow. He has performed and recorded extensively with Toronto's finest musicians and is a longstanding charter member of Bernie Senensky's Moe Koffman Tribute Band.

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 in Jazz.FM91's and Bob Parlocha's syndicated jazz programs as well as steady air-play in their repective 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 2009/2010 Toronto Independent Music Award (TIMA) in the Best Jazz category.

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 both the U.S.A. National Flute Association’s Jazz Flute Masterclass and Jazz Flute Big Band Competitions. He has also been a longstanding contributor to the Woodwinds.

More on: http://www.myspace.com/billmcbirnieextremeflute#ixzz0vpQVm6rS


Jazz and Latin flutist, Bill McBirnie, improvises along with Oscar Peterson on "C Jam Blutes".