A new album by Bill McBirnie is bringing attention to the talented but largely uncompensated community of artists that call the former City of York their home.
Teaming up with another local resident, Robi Botos, McBirnie released Mercy in late 2009, which he hopes will grow the buzz created by his last two acoustic projects, Nature Boy and Paco Paco. On the new CD McBirnie reinvents tunes from jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane through his unique improvisational style.
"I think it has some kind of unusual vibe running through it from beginning to end that is always functioning and moving and happening, regardless of the cuts, which are quite diverse," said McBirnie.
Recently retired from his career as an accountant, the 56-year-old musician has been performing in York since he moved there 27 years ago. During this time he has independently produced five CDs and watched his neighbourhood develop into a hotbed of artistic talent, which he feels is on par with any city on the planet.
Being able to pick and choose from world-class jazz professionals made producing Mercy a truly improvisational experience. Joined by a variety of other performers, McBirnie and Botos recorded all 12 tracks in two sessions with no rehearsal.
Significantly more time was needed to put final touches on production work and CD art. The investment seems to have been worthwhile because McBirnie feels this is the best sounding acoustic work he has recorded.
"Being an improvisational jazz musician puts me in a very good position to do this in a very quick and dirty way," said McBirnie. "I have my pick of world-class musicians here, so I can get this type of thing done bang, pronto, just like that."
Despite Mercy receiving positive reviews and international radio circulation, McBirnie is unsure of his musical future in a city where so many talented artists are struggling to find a local following. In Toronto's independent jazz scene, making a successful recording often doesn't have any financial benefit.
"I am completely uncompensated," said McBirnie. "It's a terrible irony of these independent productions that has nothing to do with their quality."
Building a local fan base in a city as large as Toronto is surprisingly difficult for independent artists. McBirnie isn't sure why a more supportive jazz scene is missing, but he thinks many residents just don't pay attention to what is in their own backyard. The situation is even more pronounced in York where a critical mass of talent is bursting with creativity.
"Toronto is rather acutely unaware of the caliber of musicianship it has in the more niche idioms such as jazz," said McBirnie. "I think it's really important for people to at least become aware of what they have and what is in their midst in the community."
During the winter months McBirnie is performing weekly in venues across the city and is hoping for daily gigs when the weather - and jazz - heats up in Toronto this summer.