Scenes

"Scenes," in which Bishop joins three proven players - saxophonist Rick Mandyck, bassist Jeff Johnson and Portland guitarist John Stowell.

It's a fine set, with responsive playing from the whole crew. Mandyck, Johnson and Bishop are long-proven in these parts, and so to is Stowell to listeners who've been around a while. Those will also know, however, that he has an odd stage presence, holding his guitar almost upright and playing it with fastidious mannerisms that can be unsettling, frankly. Which is a pity, because, as he shows here, he can play, and he is well served by his company here. They perform McCoy Tyner's "Blues On The Corner," and Jerome Kern's "Yesterdays," as well as some originals by Mandyck and Johnson and a particularly appealing rendition of Wayne Shorter's "Nefertiti." This is a recording that will stand up well compared with the vast majority of mainstream jazz discs in the country now, as a bit of luck may well demonstrate. It has elements of the classic Blue Note style, accessible, but with profound reaches.