John Bishop - Antwerp

"The set has a life-affirming, celebratory quality...Antwerp stands out as a blue-ribbon piano trio album, certainly one of the year's finest". All About Jazz

Carrying on a widely varied career over several decades, it's through membership in several long-lived trios where Seattle drummer John Bishop's musical voice is probably most apparent. With New York pianist Hal Galper's acclaimed "rubato" trio over the last 15 years, the band Scenes with guitarist John Stowell for another 20, or the piano trio New Stories which started in the mid-80s, each provided a committed vision with a focus on the collective narrative. With that, it's no surprise that Bishop would deliver another trio as the first album under his own name in 15 years.

First meeting pianist Bram Weijters and bassist Piet Verbist in Belgium in 2010 through a quartet with trumpeter Chad McCullough, they went on to do yearly tours, performing 100+ concerts, and releasing 3 albums over its 8 years. Continuing yearly trips to Antwerp following the pandemic, the thought of recording a trio with Piet & Bram came in a flash of gratitude for their friendship, musicianship and the ongoing adventures that the first Antwerp visit inspired. Theirs is a sound evolved from mutual admiration and the joy of creation.

"...Bishop has his own distinctive sound, one that a listener can identify on any recording. His intuitive sensitivity, chant-like use of cymbals, and masterful brush work serve as a spatial touchstone..."
All About Jazz