Walter Bishop Jr - Bish Bash (1977)

Tracklisting

Recorded at the Half Note, August 2 1964
00:00​ - 1. Day of Wine and Roses
13:41​ - 2. Willow Weep for Me
27:59​ - 3. Summertime

Recorded May 15 1968
34:22​ - 4. Minor Move
37:57​ - 5. Yesterday's Dream
43:16​ - 6. Party Time
46:19​ - 7. My Man's Gone Now
50:21​ - 8. Viva!

Album Info

Note: The audio recording and conversion from the vinyl are a little rough. The 1964 recording as stated by the album itself, highlights its poor audio, and whilst the 1968 recording is a lot better it still suffers from background noise
I've done my best to remove the large amounts of noise but I don't have that much expertise in this area so it still sounds rough

Compiling two live sessions from the mid-1960s, "Bish Bash" highlights Walter Bishop's Jr.'s (Bish) ability as a leader, performer as well as a music composer. The rest of this section will be outlying the notes written by Mark Gardener who goes into great detail about the performances made by all the talented artists who contributed to this album

The opening Days of Wine And Roses was Herny Mancini's title track for one of the memorable movies of 1962. Bish sets a funky atmosphere in his improvised introduction. His right-hand does the exploration (even venturing into a snatch of Straight No Chaser) while the left vamps. Then Haynes comes in bang on cue, to firmly summarise the melody before embarking on a solo of great power and excitement. Bish lays out in the early chorus but returns for Franks' Last and then scurries off on some compelling excursions of his own, swinging like mad all while. The wine is heady, the roses fragrant. None of the customary "fours" just Haynes with the melody and extended ad-lib coda in the spirit of Walter's intro

Willow Weep For Me is taken at a lively waltz tempo, Haynes employs tasteful substations on the bridge and lets his imagination roam through the familiar chordal contours, employing the full range of his saxophone. Haynes was really hot on time. He could ride the beat letting you think he was teetering backwards and then plunge you forward but he never lost his way. Bish weaves his steely sorcery. He is no soft tickler, he attacks every note; and here he is really stimulated and stimulating, darkly inventive. Khan gets a good solo spot and Frank sounds confident and assured as things wrap up.

Summertime is from the same night's work but at trio item sans Haynes. Bish has always had a soft spot for Gershwin tunes, particularly the Porgy and Bess repertoire.

The sinewy Minor Motive finds Bish at his most nimble, travelling full speed ahead through his own changes.

Yesterday's Dream is a delicate ballad (a distant cousin of Everything Happens to Me) and quite unlike anything else the pianist has written. It shows he has a gentle delicate side to his musical make-up. Lovely voicings and rippling lines.

Party Time lives up to its title, a stomping piece of good-time feeling with a strong, rocking beat. The trio has a ball and Reggie Johnson is prominent in this soulful party bash.

Bish negotiates My Man's Gone Now in a typically unorthodox manner, making it a slow groove and finding an apt and haunting peg to hang his extemporizations upon. The recurring interludes by the bass lend the piece a different rhythmic perspective than one associates with the song.

The Latin-flavoured Viva! ends this Bish Bash in an hypnotic manner. Bish handles this brand of rhythmic feeling so fluently, carrying the listener along on the tide of his spontaneous, expressive ideas. This is yet another example of how Walter can conjure up an atmosphere and evoke the vibrations to match it.

Walter Bisjop, Jr. is a tall, handsome man with a commanding presence who has long outgrown the 'junior' appellation. He is. in all respects a senior graduate of jazz. A vital force as a pianist, composer and leader. This album serves to illustrate the satisfying music he was creating in the 1960s

Personnel

1964 Recordings:
Walter Bishop Jr. - Piano
Frank Haynes - Tenor Saxophone (Tracks 1 & 2)
Eddie Khan - Bass
Dick Berk - Drums

1968 Recordings:
Walter Bishop Jr. - Piano
Reggie Johnson - Bass
Leo Morris - Drums