After releasing his first solo album in 1996, Music of Hair, musician Andrew Bird appeared on three albums by Squirrel Nut Zippers

Squirrel Nut Zippers

The Squirrel Nut Zippers are a band formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina by James "Jimbo" Mathus , Katharine Whalen , Chris Phillips on drums, Don Raleigh on bass and sideman Ken Mosher....

 between 1996 and 1998, and then took role of bandleader

Bandleader

A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....

 for Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire.

Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire released Thrills on Rykodisc in 1997, shortly followed by second album Oh! The Grandeur

Oh! The Grandeur

-External links:*...

in 1998. Both albums were heavily influenced by traditional folk, pre-war jazz, and swing

Swing (genre)

Swing music, also known as swing jazz or simply swing, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and became a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States...

, with Bird relying on the violin as his primary musical instrument

Musical instrument

A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...

, as well as providing vocals along with his trademark verbose lyrics.

The Bowl of Fire featured musicians from Bird's home town of Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, including Kevin O'Donnell, Joshua Hirsch, Nora O'Connor

Nora O'Connor

Nora O'Connor is an American musician. She sings and plays guitar with numerous bands and individuals from the U.S. and Canada, her primary involvements being Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire and the Blacks...

, Andy Hopkins

Andy Hopkins

Andy Hopkins is a former all-star Canadian Football League running back.After playing college football at Stephen F. Austin State University he joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1973, where he rushed for 1223 yards in his rookie season...

, Jimmy Sutton, Colin Bunn, and Ryan Hembrey. Members of the Squirrel Nut Zippers

Squirrel Nut Zippers

The Squirrel Nut Zippers are a band formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina by James "Jimbo" Mathus , Katharine Whalen , Chris Phillips on drums, Don Raleigh on bass and sideman Ken Mosher....

, Katherine Whalen and James Mathus also appeared on Thrills

Thrills

Thrills is a Canadian brand of chewing gum now made by Concord Confections, but once produced by Wonka. It is well known for its distinctive rosewater flavor. Comparisons of its flavor to soap are so prevalent that recent packaging states "it still tastes like soap!" Thrills gum is also known for...

.) During this period, Andrew Bird was a member of the jazz group Kevin O'Donnells Quality Six, for which he was the lead singer and violinist and contributed to arrangements and songwriting for the albums Heretic Blues (Delmark 1999) and Control Freak (Delmark 2000) (both Delmark albums were produced by Raymond Salvatore Harmon

Raymond Salvatore Harmon

Raymond Salvatore Harmon is an American media artist, painter, and filmmaker. As a graffiti artist Harmon has used the tags BETA and RSH...

).

In 2001, the Bowl of Fire released their third album, The Swimming Hour

The Swimming Hour

The Swimming Hour is Andrew Bird's third album with Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire. It comprises a blend of musical styles from the last century including jazz, gospel, rock, classical, Latin and folk, often accompanied by thoughtful, playful or haunting vocals and lyrics.-Track listing:...

, a dramatic departure from their previous recordings. It featured a mixture of styles, from the zydeco

Zydeco

Zydeco is a form of uniquely American roots or folk music. It evolved in southwest Louisiana in the early 19th century from forms of "la la" Creole music...

-influenced "Core and Rind" to more straightforward rock songs such as "11:11". Due to this eclectic yet pop-like nature, Bird has often referred to it as his "jukebox

Jukebox

A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...

 album". Although gaining critical praise (The Swimming Hour received a 9.0 from indie music website Pitchfork), the band failed to attain commercial success or recognition, playing to audiences as small as 40 people.
In 2002, Bird was asked to open for a band in his hometown of Chicago, but fellow Bowl of Fire members were unavailable for the date. The reluctant Bird performed the gig alone, and the surprising success of this solo show suggested potential new directions for his music. The Bowl of Fire unofficially disbanded in 2003, and Bird went on to radically re-invent himself as a solo artist.

Discography

• Thrills (1998)
• Oh! The Grandeur
  Oh! The Grandeur
  -External links:*...
  
  (1999)
• The Swimming Hour
  The Swimming Hour
  The Swimming Hour is Andrew Bird's third album with Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire. It comprises a blend of musical styles from the last century including jazz, gospel, rock, classical, Latin and folk, often accompanied by thoughtful, playful or haunting vocals and lyrics.-Track listing:...
  
  (2001)