Sir Richard Bishop - Improvika / Fingering the Devil (Special Edition) / While My Guitar Violently Bleeds [2005-2007]

IMPROVIKA (CD - Locust Music, 2004. LP Issued by Bo Weavil, 2005)
"The nine compositions of “Improvika” are influenced by folk music of all corners of the world with the music of India and the Middle East playing particularly prominent roles. This is not, however, post-modern pastiche or multicultural collage. Quite the contrary, it is something that synthesizes all these disparate elements into something wholly new. Bishop has a somewhat improvisational rhythmic language that is all his own as well as a compositional sense that (even if these pieces are, in fact, improvisations as the title might suggest) carries this album easily through its 45 minute running time." - Nick Hennies (Foxy Digitalis)

FINGERING THE DEVIL (CD/LP - Southern Records, UK, 2006)
"Bishop’s seamless blend of gypsy jazz and flamenco guitar embraces the duality of nomadic life, its exuberance and world-weariness. Overall Bishop’s pace is slightly slower here than on his previous full length "Improvika" except on the album’s galloping closer “Howrah Station.” In “Dance of the Lotus Eaters,” he scatters his notes sparingly in sections and coaxes the steady growth of melodies from single chords, rather than frantic runs across the fret board. Bishop also embraces these gentle melodies more fully, shying away from the experimental atonality of "Improvika"’s “Cryptonymous.” This release is full of patience and powerful lyricism." - Jamie Townsend (Foxy Digitalis)

WHILE MY GUITAR VIOLENTLY BLEEDS (LP/CD - Locust Music, 2007)
"The three long meditations that make up this release are violent in the sense of deep passion. For Bishop, these songs are a form of prayer, and as such are as deeply felt an acoustic set as you are likely to hear, one that does not fall into the traps of the pseudo-spiritual, but which maintains an emotional peak throughout. “Zurvan” is the most quiet of the set, an almost traditional blues-based instrumental that still explores some mighty deft territory, both musically and emotionally. It begins the record by reassuring the listener that s/he will be in good hands. “Smashana” dips into a more layered drone, with aspects of psych that help to deepen the piece, and to build off the first song. The real meat is the final, 25+ minute “Mahavidya,” which explores both fretboard and soul, and takes the drone of “Smashana” toward raga, and toward a mystic conclusion to the set." - Dave Segal (OC Weekly)

Sir Richard Bishop | By Appointment To Her Majesty, The Queen

While My Guitar Violently Bleeds [2007]

Fingering the Devil (Special Edition) [2005]

Improvika [2005]

Sir Richard Bishop Torch of the Mystics