Search - Walter Bishop :: What's New

A pianist who worked with Charlie Parker in the 1950s and was renowned for his expansions within the bop mode, Walter Bishop in this 1990 recording exhibits characteristic bebop attack, but slowed, so that he can emphasize the lyrical. His relaxed program includes such standards as "I'll Remember April" and Mercer Ellington's "Things Ain't What They Used to Be"; a loping, crystalline rendition of a should-be standard, Wayne Shorter's "Speak No Evil"; and one original. Peter Washington on bass quietly impresses, the ideal combination of discretion and presumption. Similarly, Kenny Washington on drums keeps things on track at all times, calling on his ample resources as needed. Bishop goes beyond sheer chops at the keyboard, displaying a convincing, warm elegance and songfulness well-suited to his gentler-than-bebop postbop. --Peter Monaghan