Video Highlight - Alex Bird & The Jazz Mavericks
Alex Bird& The Jazz Mavericks
Over the last few years, Alex Bird & The Jazz Mavericks have become one of the biggest names on the Canadian Jazz scene. With praise from around the globe, Bird, alongside songwriting & piano partner, Farncombe, has created timeless and heartfelt originals for a modern audience. This talented team has produced something that is completely unique; three original albums in three years. Their sophomore album “You Are the Light and the Way”, backed by their “Jazz Mavericks”, was nominated for “Best Vocal Jazz” at the 2022 JUNO Awards.
Bird and Farncombe’s latest album, a duo record, dropped as a surprise of 11 originals entitled, “Songwriter”. Kira Grunenberg at DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE wrote, “Impassioned messages sung and played from one’s heart but worn on a well-dressed sleeve. “Songwriter” is an elegant, romantic, and well-executed gem of a record.” The album was nominated for “Best Vocal Jazz” at the 2024 JUNO awards.
Also in 2022, Bird & Farncombe wrote and released Canada’s Thanksgiving anthem “The Sweetest Moments” which received a national ad campaign across Canada, with interviews on CBC, CTV, and other major news outlets. In September of 2023, Alex, Ewen, and “The Jazz Mavericks” headlined The Sudbury Jazz Festival and finished it off with a workshop for emerging artists.
I’m glad there is Bird.”
In addition to heading back to The JUNO Awards, 2024 will see Bird & Farncombe collaborating with Latin Grammy Winner & Grammy Nominee, Cheo, on an all original Bossa Nova EP entitled “Casanova Bossa Nova Lover Man”.
Alex literally grew up with the classics. As a young boy he was taken to hang around the Toronto jazz scene and had the opportunity to see and meet many of the greats along the way; Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Oscar Peterson, Mel Tormé, Ray Charles, Cleo Laine…the list goes on. Without even knowing it, his musical training developed, sitting around at smoky jazz clubs into the wee
small hours of the morning.
up the planet. One of those groundbreaking bands is
Alex Bird and the Jazz Mavericks. Bird and his group of talented players
are rewriting the textbook for vocal-infused Jazz.”
Bird is inspired by many artists of the past, but one of his favourite influences is Elvis Presley. There was no one like Elvis, he just let the music guide him and carved out a unique and original career. Bird takes that spirit of originality into everything he does. Around Alex’s apartment you’ll find many Elvis books, posters, and a large section of his vinyl collection dedicated to “The King”. When Alex’s very first review came out in 2019 from American publication All About Jazz they said, “Vocals are a rival to Michael Bublé with a dash of Edwyn Collins. Edgy stuff. Possibly the new Elvis? Too much? Check it out yourselves.”
Alex Bird & The Jazz Mavericks
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Alex Bird
Alex Bird is a Toronto based jazz singer, songwriter and actor. Bird, along with his songwriting partner and pianist Ewen Farncombe, have been nominated for a 2024 JUNO award for “Best Vocal Jazz Album” for their latest entitled “Songwriter”. This is their 2nd nomination having been previously nominated in the same category in 2022 for “You Are The Light And The Way.”
Alex and his band “The Jazz Mavericks” are working on an entirely new chapter of the Great American Songbook; they are pushing the boundaries of a beautiful tradition and bringing it into a new era.