Ben Bishop – Guitar

 

Ben Bishop favours a freewheeling, bluesy, bop-based guitar style, most reminiscent of classic jazz guitarists from the 1950s and 1960s such as Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, and Barney Kessel.  As a member of the Bishop/McLeod Trio he was featured as both a performer and composer on the album Double Entendre, released by Canadian jazz pianist/organist, Jeff McLeod.  The album, produced by veteran jazz pianist Harold Danko, garnered enough respect to earn a Western Canadian Music Award nomination.  In 2012, Bishop performed with Ryan Truesdell’s Gil Evans Project, earning significant critical acclaim at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy.  As the guitarist with Dave Rivello’s New Jazz Ensemble he received a 2009 DownBeat Jazz Award. As a performer, he has shared the stage with Lee Konitz, Phil Woods, Helen Merrill, Pat LaBarbera, Mike Murley, Bernie Senensky, Steve Wallace, and many others.  After a number of years living in New York, he has recently returned to Toronto where he may be heard in groups led by Maureen Kennedy, Jeff McLeod, John Alcorn, Morgan Childs, Chris Gale, and others.  

Check out Ben Bishop performing with his organ trio: