Best known for his work as a longtime collaborator with the Cowboy Junkies, folk-jazz multi-instrumentalist Jeff Bird also earned wide acclaim as a solo performer. A native of the Canadian province of Ontario, he first emerged during the late 1970s as a founding member of the folk group Tamarack; longtime fans of his work, the Cowboy Junkies contacted Bird in 1988 to appear on their groundbreaking LP The Trinity Sessions, to which he lent his harmonica and mandolin skills. In addition to appearing on many of the band's subsequent albums, he also worked with Jane Siberry, Loreena McKennitt, John Prine and others. As a solo artist, Bird made his debut with a self-titled 1995 effort; Everything Is Coming Plain and Clear to My Understanding followed in 1997. Bird, Jaro Czerwinec, and Witold Grabowiecki came together for the instrumental live beauty of Deep Breathing in 2002. ~ Jason Ankeny