Walter Bishop Jr. was one of the foremost pianists in bebop. An early member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and a prolific session pianist, Bishop's massive body of work includes notable collaborations with the likes of Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, and countless other stars of the bebop era. Bishop also had great success as a leader, producing a number of fantastic records with the support of such greats as Curtis Fuller and Jimmy Garrison. Later in life, Bishop gained widespread recognition as a composer and educator while maintaining great success as a performer: he worked extensively with trumpet legends Clark Terry and Blue Mitchell while also leading his own groups and writing books on jazz theory. This funeral program memorializes a true hero of jazz piano, and speaks to Bishop's enduring musical legacy.