Walter Bishop Jr.


Walter Bishop Jr. was an American jazz pianist.

Early life

Bishop was born in New York City on October 4, 1927. He had at least two sisters, Marian and Beverly. His father was composer Walter Bishop Sr. In his teens, Bishop Jr.'s friends included future jazz musicians Kenny Drew, Sonny Rollins, and Art Taylor. He was brought up in Harlem. He left high school to play in dance bands in the area. In 1945–47 he was in the Army Air Corps. During his military service in 1947 Bishop was based near St Louis and met touring bebop musicians.

Later life and career

Later in 1947, he returned to New York. That year he was part of drummer Art Blakey's band for 14 weeks and recorded with them. Bishop developed his bebop playing in part by playing in jam sessions at Minton's Playhouse.
He recorded with Milt Jackson and Stan Getz in 1949, then played with Charlie Parker, Oscar Pettiford, Kai Winding, and Miles Davis. At this time he was also a drug addict, which led to imprisonment and the withdrawal of his New York City Cabaret Card. In 1956, he recorded with Hank Mobley. According to the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, "at some point he became a Muslim and took the name Ibrahim ibn Ismail, but he did not use this publicly." In the early 1960s he also led his own trio with Jimmy Garrison and G. T. Hogan.
After studying at The Juilliard School with Hall Overton in the late 1960s, Bishop taught music theory at colleges in Los Angeles in the 1970s. At some point prior to moving from New York to Los Angeles, Bishop met and married the former Valerie Isabel Paul. They then moved to Los Angeles. According Jay Blotcher, Valerie Bishop's son from a previous relationship, after divorcing Walter Bishop in the mid-1970s, Valerie Bishop worked as an assistant for Ike and Tina Turner in California. Valerie Bishop was cited by Tina Turner in Turner's memoir I, Tina as the person who inspired Turner to pursue Buddhism.
In the 1980s, Bishop taught at the University of Hartford. By this time, he made frequent appearances at clubs and festivals in New York. He also wrote a book, A Study in Fourths, about jazz improvisation based on cycles of fourths and fifths. His debut recording as a leader was in the 1960s. He continued performing into the 1990s.
Bishop died of a heart attack at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Manhattan on January 24, 1998. He was survived by his wife, Keiko; his mother, and two sisters.

Playing style

Bishop was influenced at an early stage by Bud Powell. Later, Bishop was "known for holding back on the beat, a device that added tension to the music."

Discography

As leader

Compilation

  • 1965 The Walter Bishop Jr. Trio / 1965, compiles A Pair of "Naturals" and ''Summertime''

    As sideman

With Gene Ammons
  • Up Tight!
  • Boss Soul!
With Shorty Baker and Doc Cheatham
  • Shorty & Doc
With Art Blakey
With Rocky Boyd
  • Ease It
With Miles Davis
  • Dig
  • Collectors' Items
With Kenny Dorham
  • Kenny Dorham Quintet
  • Inta Somethin
With Curtis Fuller
  • Boss of the Soul-Stream Trombone
  • The Magnificent Trombone of Curtis Fuller
  • Fire and Filigree
With John Handy
  • Jazz
With Bill Hardman
  • Focus
  • Politely
With Milt Jackson
  • Meet Milt Jackson
With Ken McIntyre
  • Looking Ahead
With Jackie McLean
  • Swing, Swang, Swingin
  • Capuchin Swing
With Blue Mitchell
  • Blue Mitchell
  • Vital Blue
With Hank Mobley
  • Mobley's 2nd Message
With Charlie Parker
  • Swedish Schnapps side 2
  • Fiesta
  • Charlie Parker Plays Cole Porter
  • One Night in Birdland
  • Live at Rockland Palace
With Oscar Pettiford
With Dizzy Reece
  • Soundin' Off
With Charlie Rouse
  • Takin' Care of Business
With Archie Shepp
With Sonny Stitt
  • Broadway Soul
With Harold Vick
  • Commitment
With Stan Getz Zoot Sims etc.
  • ''The Brothers''