Andrew Bird may not have set out to redefine modern music, but his eclectic fusion of jazz, rock, ragtime, and European folk morphs into a template that defies description. With his initial contributions to the zany Squirrel Nut Zippers, continuing with his own band Bowl of Fire, and with subsequent solo albums, Bird has employed violin, viola, guitar, glockenspiel, keyboards, clarinet, and whistling to structure a unique aural amalgam that's at once accessible and yet altogether unexpected.
Born July 11, 1973, Bird grew up listening to classical music while also absorbing the influences of English and Scottish folk and the sounds of such seminal jazz icons as Johnny Hodges, Lester Young, and Fats Waller. Early on, he distanced himself from indie rock, although he has increasingly integrated that sound into later recordings.
The Bird albums Noble Beast, Armchair Apocrypha, and The Mysterious Production of Eggs reaped critical acclaim and solidified Bird's reputation as an artist whose music could sometimes seem as tangled as his odd song titles might imply. When taking center stage, he plucks and bows his violin and viola to emulate a sound as rich and textured as a small symphony. What's more, one has to give due credit to anyone who opts to call a song "Nomenclature" and then actually find a word to rhyme with the title.
He's further revealed himself through contributions to a New York Times blog written by musicians called "Measure for Measure." Those interested will find his commentary a fascinating discourse on the evolution of some remarkable melodies.
Ultimately, it's unlikely that even Break It Yourself, Bird's latest opus, will expand his following beyond the critics' kudos. After all, he doesn't parlay mainstream melodies, even despite his skillful strokes. Still, Bird is a genuinely unique individual who earns our awe. This multi-instrumentalist has pursued an intriguing musical trajectory in his career. There is inherent beauty and a rarified ambiance that permeates with practically every note.
Here are half a dozen other artists who have made an indelible imprint by reinventing themselves and redefining modern music in the process.
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Miles Davis
Davis is considered one of the most influential American jazz musicians of all time. He dabbled freely in bebop, cool jazz, hard bop, and modal jazz before setting his sites on a sound that eventually morphed into a the style now known as fusion. Artists like Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, and John McLaughlin, all of whom played in Miles' many all-star combos, owe their careers to his invention.
Suggested listening: Sketches of Spain, Bitches Brew, In a Silent Way
Joni Mitchell
Beginning her career as a fragile singer and songwriter in the heady days of late '60s hippiedom, Mitchell abandoned her incense, patchouli, and the Topanga Canyon crowd for jazzier realms and the sophisticated style of a contemplative chanteuse. An influential songwriter, her songs have been widely covered by others.
Suggested listening: Blue, Hejira, The Hissing of Summer Lawns
The Grateful Dead
This band created the soundtrack for the Acid Tests and helped steer Ken Kesey and his followers on their merry way, but even early on, its experimental antics were a long way from its bluegrass and jug-band origins. The group continued to evolve throughout its 30-year trajectory, touching on psychedelia, freeform, Americana, and a jam-band template that continues to influence countless other outfits today.
Suggested listening: Workingman's Dead, Terrapin Station, Live/Dead
King Crimson
With their landmark debut, In the Court of the Crimson King, guitarist Robert Fripp and company helped define the new underground progressive music that emerged through FM radio and on college campuses throughout the late '60s. However, by their second and third outings, In the Wake of Poseidon and Lizard, respectively, Fripp's restless nature was already becoming apparent. The band underwent numerous personnel changes and eventually morphed into an instrumental outfit fueled by invention, innovation, and improvisation, a challenging approach that was neither rock nor jazz but a strange hybrid that lay in-between.
Suggested listening: In the Court of the Crimson King, Islands, Discipline, Larks' Tongue in Aspic
Patti Smith
The original punk goddess, Smith refined her sound but not her adventurous attitude. Despite her early insurgence and irreverence, Smith has embraced the arts and literature and received all sorts of critical kudos for her fusion of rock and poetry. Her desire to constantly redefine her populist appeal has ensured that her music remains both topical and challenging.
Suggested listening: Horses, Dream of Life, Trampin', Banga
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
By any other definition, Bela and his boys might have been labeled a bluegrass group, owing to the fact that Fleck himself plays the banjo and remains a reliable staple in numerous country music sessions. Yet they also draw equally from bluegrass, fusion, postbop, and what's commonly called "nu-grass." In fact, it's a credit to its diversity that the group has been nominated for Grammys in a wide variety of genres -- among them, jazz, bluegrass, pop, spoken word, contemporary Christian, gospel, classical, and country categories -- more, in fact, than any other group. Lately, the band has incorporated African instrumentation into the mix, but the improvisational factor remains the overriding element.
Suggested listening: Live at the Quick, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Rocket Science
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