Joe Bishop

Joe Bishop (November 27, 1907, Monticello, Arkansas - May 12, 1976, Houston, Texas) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist and composer.

Bishop learned piano, trumpet, and tuba when young, and also played flugelhorn and mellophone. He attended Hendrix College, and played professionally with the Louisiana Ramblers in 1927, including in Mexico. He then played with Mart Britt, Al Katz, and Austin Wylie before joining Isham Jones's band for five years. He was a founding member of Woody Herman's band in the 1930s, but he contracted tuberculosis in 1940 and had to leave the group. He was rehired by Herman as a staff arranger later in the 1940s, and his arrangements and compositions were recorded frequently by Herman, appearing on some 50 of Herman's albums. As a performer, Bishop played with Cow Cow Davenport and Jimmy Gordon's Vip Vop Band, but retired from studio work due to his health in the 1950s. He quit music and opened a store in Saranac Lake, New York, and later retired to Texas.

Bishop's compositions include "Midnight Blue", "Woodchopper's Ball", and "Blue Prelude" (with Gordon Jenkins), and his work has been covered by musicians as diverse as Ten Years After and Lawrence Welk.

Birth and Death Data: Born November 27, 1907 (Monticello), Died May 12, 1976 (Houston)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1928 - 1941

Roles Represented in DAHR: flugelhorn, composer, arranger, songwriter

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 151 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca 62152 10-in. 4/26/1937 Trouble in mind Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 62153 10-in. 4/26/1937 It happened down in Dixieland Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 62515 10-in. 8/10/1937 Stardust on the moon Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 62516 10-in. 8/10/1937 The lady from Fifth Avenue Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 62517 10-in. 8/10/1937 Don't you know or don't you care? Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 62518 10-in. 8/10/1937 Double or nothing Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 62711 10-in. 10/25/1937 I double dare you Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 62712 10-in. 10/25/1937 Why talk about love? Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 62713 10-in. 10/25/1937 My fine feathered friend Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 62714 10-in. 10/25/1937 You're a sweetheart Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 62800 10-in. 11/23/1937 Let's pitch a little woo Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 62801 10-in. 11/23/1937 I wanna be in Winchell's column Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 62802 10-in. 11/23/1937 Loch Lomond Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 62803 10-in. 11/23/1937 Broadway's gone Hawaii Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 63604 10-in. 4/14/1938 Calliope blues Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 63605 10-in. 4/14/1938 Twin city blues Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 63606 10-in. 4/14/1938 Carolina in the morning Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 63607 10-in. 4/14/1938 I'm saving myself for you Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 63608 10-in. 4/14/1938 Laughing Boy blues Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 63609 10-in. 4/14/1938 You'll be reminded of me Woody Herman Orchestra instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 63756 10-in. 5/12/1938 Crying my blues away Jimmie Gordon instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 63757 10-in. 5/12/1938 Fast life Jimmie Gordon instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 63758 10-in. 5/12/1938 Sail with me Jimmie Gordon instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 63759 10-in. 5/12/1938 Lonesome bedroom blues Jimmie Gordon instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
Decca 63760 10-in. 5/12/1938 Alberta, Alberta Jimmie Gordon instrumentalist, flugelhorn  
(Results 26-50 of 151 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Bishop, Joe," accessed May 30, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108488.

Bishop, Joe. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 30, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108488.

"Bishop, Joe." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 30 May 2023.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108488

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