the story

Alex Bird is a 2x JUNO-nominated jazz singer, songwriter and actor from Toronto, ON; now residing in the historic town of Cobalt, ON. 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. Bird's original debut album "Whisky Kisses" (Oct 2020) received reviews, awards, airplay, and distribution around the world.

Following that momentum, Bird and The Jazz Mavericks released their second album, "You Are the Light and the Way" (Nov 2021). Bird and songwriting partner Ewen Farncombe wrote 12 new originals, and the album was nominated for Best Vocal Jazz Album at the JUNO Awards (2022). The album was made possible thanks to the generosity of the Canada Council for the Arts.

To follow that momentum, Bird & Farncombe surprise-released an 11-song original duo album called “Songwriter” at the end of 2022, also funded thanks to Canada Council For The Arts. The album received glowing accolades from around the world; including from DownBeat Magazine, who 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.” - Kira Grunenberg. In February of 2024 “Songwriter” was nominated for Best Vocal Jazz at The JUNO Awards.

To mark Thanksgiving 2022, Bird & Farncombe also created "Canada's Thanksgiving Anthem”, "The Sweetest Moments," which was broadcast nationally with extensive media coverage.

2023 saw Bird and The Jazz Mavericks gracing iconic stages, from headlining the Horseshoe Tavern to opening for The Jackson's at Strangers in the Night Toronto, to debuting at Upstairs Jazz in Montreal and headlining The Sudbury Jazz Festival. They have also been featured on many radio shows across the globe; including CBC’s Saturday Night Jazz with Laila Biali.

Coming in 2024, Bird & Farncombe have joined forces with Latin Grammy Award Winner & Grammy Nominee, Cheo (Creator of the jazz/funk/disco band, ‘Los Amigos Invisibles’, one of the biggest bands to ever come out of Venezuela). Written and produced with Cheo, “Casanova Bossa Nova Lover Man” is a soon-to-be-released original 4-song Bossa Nova-inspired EP, taking that classic sound into the modern era.

Alex was adopted from Romania and came to Canada at six weeks old. He 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, Ray Brown, Oscar Peterson, Mel Tormé, Ray Charles...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.

The Jazz Mavericks

With influences spanning from the 20s to the 70s, Alex Bird is a writer of incredible precision and lyrical depth. Working with a killer lineup of young musicians, dubbed “The Jazz Mavericks”, they are pushing the boundaries of a beautiful tradition and bringing it into a new era. The Jazz Mavericks are rising stars in their own right. Ewen Farncombe on piano, Jacob Gorzhaltsan on sax, Julian Anderson-Bowes on bass, and Norbert Botos on drums.

The Stage and Screen

In between singing gigs, Alex also graces the screen. Alex studied classical theatre acting at George Brown, and film acting at Humber. Most recently, he appeared on CBC's “Frankie Drake Mysteries” as Al Capone, and in September 2019 Alex made his feature film debut in “IT: Chapter 2” alongside, Bill Hader.

 Alex Bird isn’t a retro act. He is making this beautiful tradition a product of today.

Welcome to the stylish and textured world that is ALEX BIRD.