Several months into the pandemic, Bruce and I decided to work on our third Extreme Flute recording project, because we were both looking for something to do musically, and we also needed to maintain a sense of musical belonging in what had become very challenging circumstances, for all of us.
Of course, with COVID protocols in place, we had no choice but to tackle this project remotely, which meant we had to exchange sound files, back-and-forth, back-and-forth, throughout the entire process. So it felt as though this was taking us...forever!...
Nonetheless, it was a genuinely satisfying endeavour. Bruce’s compositions have always been a draw for me, because they are diverse, and inevitably infused with a Brazilian spirit. So we sorted through his current—and past—works, picking tunes that had a more relaxed vibe in the hope that this repertoire might resonate with our equally COVID-distressed family, friends, fans and followers. My wife, Svetlana, had a big hand in the final selection of tunes...so one of the new ones is dedicated to her!...
Bruce is a multi-talented vocalist, instrumentalist and engineer whom I have respected and admired for many years. In fact, when I first heard Bruce play with his band, Da, at the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival about 30 years ago, I said to my friends at the time, “I want to be in this band!”...And soon enough, I was!...
So I have been playing and recording with Bruce from the very beginning of my career as a freelance flutist.
In keeping with our earlier Extreme Flute projects, Bruce laid down the bed tracks, I overdubbed my flute lines and improvs, and then we mixed the tracks. However, what makes this Extreme Flute project different—and a genuine treat as well—was having bassist, Robin Latimer, record with us. She displayed outstanding workmanship and provided a solid foundation for this most recent incarnation of Extreme Flute.
Finally, Bruce and I would like to convey our continuing gratitude to Canada’s premier jazz station, Jazz.FM91, for including music from both of our earlier Extreme Flute albums (Desvio and Grain of Sand) in their spin cycle for what is now close to two decades.
And so even if it felt like it would take us forever to finish, FOREVER is finally here...and now!...
Bill McBirnie
1. Criole Blessing (Saravá Criola)
2. Song For Svetlana (Um Choro Para Svetlana)
3. This Passion (Está Paixão)
4. It's The Time (Saber Se Amar)
5. Forever (Eternamente)
6. Dreams And Light (Canta Canção)
7. Full Moon Blue Wolf (Lua Cheia Lobo Azul) - Bonus Vocal Track
Bill McBirnie – flute & alto flute (all tracks)
Bruce Jones – guitar, percussion & synths (all tracks); vocal (track 7 only)
Robin Latimer – electric bass (all tracks except track 2)
Compositions – Bruce Jones (SOCAN)
Produced by – Bill McBirnie & Bruce Jones
Recorded at – Da Da Music Productions & Extreme Flute Studio, Toronto, Ontario
Engineered by – Bruce Jones
Edited & Mixed by – Bill McBirnie & Bruce Jones
Mastered by – Pacy Shulman at Hilo Studio, Toronto, Ontario
Cover Image by – Tim Moore (Collingwood Stream, 1993)
Layout, Design & Manufacturing by – Staci Patten, Accurate Audio, Toronto, Ontario
Bill is a Designated Hayes Artist. On this recording, he plays several Wm. S. Haynes flutes and, in addition, an Armstrong alto flute.
