Review: Fingering the Devil; Sir Richard Bishop

Just received a copy of this beautiful limited edition release on Southern Records' Latitudes series. Bishop toured the UK last year and recorded this session on his day off. Fingering The Devil is a snapshot of the tremendous improvisations I raved about in my review at the time. In spite of less than ideal circumstances (travel hell, impending flu) Bishop's playing is every bit as stellar in the studio as it was in person. The pieces here run the gamut of Bishop's vast array of styles, from flamenco to raga with echoes of the blues, jazz and American primitive fingerpicking. It's a clean recording, with none of the pedals and effects he was using live and it comes over as more considered and measured than the barnstorming live gigs. That said, it's a fine set and an essential document of the continuing growth of a unique player.