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Adam Bishop

Born in England in 1974, Adam was raised in Canberra, Australia. He studied Jazz Performance at the Canberra School of Music receiving a Bachelor of Music there in 1995. His studies have also included time in New York with Ralph Alessi, Mark Turner, Mark Helias and Barry Harris. Starting on tenor saxophone, he was originally inspired by bebop and straight-ahead jazz. His interest was soon piqued however by contemporary innovators including Steve Coleman and Dave Holland and he made a study of their music. Arriving in London in early 1998 he quickly became involved with many of the finest musicians in London also adding soprano saxophone and bass clarinet to his repertoire. Adam has performed and recorded as a sideman with: Tomorrow's Warriors, Polar Bear, Jazz Jamaica All Stars, Larry Bartley Septet, Sheron Wray’s Jazz Xchange, Stefano Kalonaris, Roberto Pla's Latin Jazz Ensemble, the London Jazz Orchestra, Synergy, Jonathan Bratoëff Quintet, NYJO, The Mike Nock Quintet, The Rat Pack Orchestra and the RTE Concert Orchestra and Big Band.

Polar Bear: Dim Lit

Read "Dim Lit" reviewed by Andrew Hunter

by Andrew Hunter
July 2, 2025

When Polar Bear released Dim Lit in 2004, shortly after being nominated for Best Band at the BBC Jazz Awards, it was clear that the British quartet led by drummer Sebastian Rochford were going to make some waves. Mark Lockheart (sax) was already in the middle of a successful career, having played with Django Bates and been part of the seminal 1980s British big band Loose Tubes. Pete Wareham (sax) was playing with Rochford in Acoustic Ladyland. Tom Herbert added ...

Album Review

Josephine Davies & The Ensō Ensemble: The Celtic Wheel Of The Year Suite

Read "The Celtic Wheel Of The Year Suite" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi

by Angelo Leonardi
March 31, 2025

Sassofonista e compositrice britannica, nota per il trio Satori, Josephine Davies debutta con un ricco e raffinato progetto orchestrale, che presenta la sua suite in otto parti ispirata alle feste stagionali celtiche delle isole Shetland. “Dopo aver composto diversi pezzi per orchestra jazz" --ha detto Josephine--"ispirata da un trasferimento in campagna durante il lockdown, ho sentito l'urgenza di approfondire il mio legame con la natura e rivisitare una mia precedente composizione. (...) Ogni movimento della suite è ispirato ...

Album Review

Perfect Stranger: Unfinished Business

Read "Unfinished Business" reviewed by Neil Duggan

by Neil Duggan
October 14, 2024

There cannot be too many artists who release music 50 years after composing it. In 1974, Chris Sansom wrote six tracks, the highlight being a four-movement piece, echoing the structure of a classical symphony but taking influences from the progressive rock of the time to create something outside conventional jazz. He formed a band to play it, called it Perfect Stranger and set about recording. The complexity of the music required many rehearsals; space to do this was in short ...

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Album Review

Adam Bishop Quartet: Sanctuary

by Chris May
April 2, 2007

A gorgeously lyrical tenor saxophonist, Adam Bishop has emerged from the sideman shadows with the most assured and compelling British jazz album to be released so far this year. He's in the company of three other young London tyros: vibraphonist Jim Hart, bassist Larry Bartley and drummer Shaney Forbes. On Sanctuary the quartet play supple, melodically vibrant jazz with a spiky modern edge. It's a hugely enjoyable mix, and one with considerable depth.

Starting out as a straight-ahead bop player, ...