Bill McBirnie – From a Small Ontario Town to Jazz Flute’s Top Honors
A Musical Upbringing in Port Colborne
Bill McBirnie was born on May 23, 1953, in Toronto, Ontario. He was raised mostly in the small town of Port Colborne. His father practiced medicine there. Music ran through nearly every member of the family. His mother played piano. His older brother also played piano. His sister played vibraphone. His twin brother became a drummer.
McBirnie started out on piano. He later asked to switch to flute, without fully knowing what the instrument was. That small request turned into a lifelong devotion.
While still in high school, McBirnie began studying under Robert Aitken of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He performed with the St. Catharines Symphony. He also spent a season touring western Canada with the National Youth Orchestra.
At the same time, he got a very different kind of musical education. His family had a jazz group called “The McBirnie Jazz Quartet Plus One.” The group would cross the border to play in Buffalo, New York. They took part in jam sessions at the coloured Musicians’ Union Club, not far from Port Colborne. There, McBirnie reportedly got the chance to sit in with visiting jazz greats. These included Herbie Mann, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, and James Moody. This early exposure shaped his lifelong command of bebop, swing, Latin, funk, and avant-garde styles.
Education and Training
McBirnie moved to Toronto in 1972 for university. He completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree there. He later earned a professional accounting designation. This background outside music never slowed down his performing career.
His flute studies continued well past his teenage years. He went on to study with American classical flutist Samuel Baron. He also studied with Cuban charanga master Richard Egües. Combined with his earlier training under Aitken, this gave him a strong base in both classical and jazz technique. The result was a flutist equally at home in bebop, swing, Latin, funk, and classical music.
The Extreme Flute Project
Extreme Flute is the name of McBirnie’s self-produced recording imprint. He has released much of his independent catalogue under this name since the late 1990s.
The project began with Desvio in 1998. This was a collaboration with Brazilian-raised multi-instrumentalist Bruce Jones. The album blended Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, and Latin rhythms with jazz improvisation.
McBirnie and Jones released several more albums together under the Extreme Flute name. These include Scratch It! (2002) and Grain of Sand, which earned a Best Instrumental nomination from the Toronto Independent Music Awards. Their 2021 album FOREVER added bassist Robin Latimer to the lineup.
McBirnie also released solo material under the Extreme Flute name, including a tribute album called Reflections (for Paul Horn). In total, the Extreme Flute catalogue includes ten releases, available on Bandcamp. The name reflects McBirnie’s artistic identity: pushing jazz flute into bold, adventurous territory outside conventional jazz and classical settings.
“Bill McBirnie is undoubtedly one of the finest jazz flute performers 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 deserves to be placed alongside Moe Koffman and Herbie Mann in the pantheon of jazz flute.” ANDY SHEPPARD (CBC Radio)
“McBirnie’s explorations are luminous as he makes each note glow…the shades and the contrasts as transparent as the emotion and the verve…carving its own beguiling niche. The music is, to put it quite simply, awesome!” JERRY D’SOUZA (AllAboutJazz.com)
Recording Career and Accolades
Beyond Extreme Flute, McBirnie has released several straight-ahead jazz albums under his own name. These include Nature Boy with the Mark Eisenman Trio, and Paco Paco and Find Your Place with pianist Bernie Senensky. He also released Mercy, featuring pianist Robi Botos, and The Silent Wish, again with Senensky.
The Silent Wish earned a 2020 Juno Award nomination for Best Instrumental Album. Find Your Place won the Vox Pop award in the Jazz Instrumental category at the 14th Annual Independent Music Awards in the U.S. Mercy won Best Jazz Album at the Toronto Independent Music Awards. It was also nominated in that category at the U.S. Independent Music Awards.
As a sideman, McBirnie has recorded with a wide range of artists. These include pianist Junior Mance, the Cuban group Irakere, percussionist Memo Acevedo, and vocalist Emilie-Claire Barlow. He has also recorded with the smooth jazz group Four80East. He appeared on two of their Billboard-charting singles: “Cinco Cinco Seis” (2019) and “Ba Ba Brazil” (2020).
Competitive and Industry Recognition
McBirnie holds a rare distinction in the flute world. He is the only flutist to win all three of the U.S. National Flute Association’s jazz flute competitions. These are Soloist (2012), Masterclass (2003), and Big Band (2009).
He was also named Flutist of the Year by the Jazz Report Awards. In 2013, the William S. Haynes Company named him a “Haynes Artist.” This honor goes to flutists endorsed by one of the most respected flute makers in the world.
Connection to Sir James Galway
McBirnie’s most widely cited credential may be a personal one. In 2005, classical flute legend Sir James Galway personally recruited him. McBirnie became the resident jazz flute specialist on Galway’s official website. This recognition speaks to his standing among flutists far outside the jazz world.
Writing and Education
McBirnie has long contributed to the “Woodwinds” column of Canadian Musician magazine. He has also written two instructional books for fellow musicians. The first is The Technique and Theory of Improvisation: A Practical Guide for Flutists, Doublers, and Other Instrumentalists. The second is Simplify Your Approach to Improvisation!: A Practical 10-Step Guide for All Instrumentalists.
