Cole Birney-Stewart (b. 1988, Vancouver, Canada) is a Montreal-based bassist, composer, improviser, and bandleader. In 2011, Birney-Stewart moved to Montreal, where he continues to play an active role in the jazz and improvised music scene. In 2019, he completed a Master 's degree in Jazz Performance from McGill University. As a bassist, he has performed and/or recorded with ensembles led by artists such as John Hollenbeck, Jean-Michel Pilc, Remi Bolduc, Marianne Trudel, Christine Jensen, and Claire Devlin.
His numerous projects have included members such as Erik Hove, Samuel Blais, Rafael Zaldivar, Jonathan Lindhorst, Michel Lambert, Marie-Fatima Rudolf, Roman Munoz, Aaron Dolman, Sarah Rossy, Gentiane MG, Guillaume Pilote, Simon Millerd, Claire Devlin, Evan Shay, Jules Payette, Thomas Morelli-Bernard, Maxime Tremblay-Rheault, Daniel Arthur, Matt Choboter, Andrew Thomson, and Louis-Vincent Hamel.
His debut album, "Champlain Bridge, " was released in 2017. Featuring music for sextet, it was the second-place winner of the Julian Award of Excellence, a Canada-wide prize awarded for the best debut jazz album. A new quintet album, "Cubix Rube," is scheduled for release on July 17, 2026.
He is a 2019 recipient of the Graduate Mobility Award, as well as the Graduate Excellence Fellowship in 2018 and 2019. He plays an Upton Bass with Evah Pirazzi Slap strings.