One of the primary voices in Northwest Jazz for over 25 years, John Bishop has performed in concerts and clubs with Bobby McFerrin, Lee Konitz, Slide Hampton, Benny Golson, George Cables, Kenny Werner, Sonny Fortune, Bobby Hutcherson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Tom Harrell, Herb Ellis, Buddy DeFranco, Larry Coryell, Joanne Brackeen, Jon Faddis, Charles McPherson, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Kenny Rankin, Joe Locke, Hal Galper, Jessica Williams, and countless others. Along with numerous jingle, film-score, demo & multi-media recording sessions, he's appeared on more than 80 albums including sessions involving Rudy Van Gelder & Teo Macero, and a Grammy-nominated recording on RCA with singer Mark Murphy. Bishop was inducted into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame in 2008.

Besides his jazz work, Bishop has toured nationally and internationally with Buddy Greco, the McGuire Sisters, and the Harry James Orchestra, and has performed with Bob Hope, Red Skelton, Bob Newhart, Rich Little, The Hi-Los, Frankie Avalon, the Drifters, the Coasters, the Platters, Pete Barbutti, the Seattle Symphony and many others.

In 1997, Bishop started Origin Records (which was in 2009, named Jazzweek's "Label Of The Year") and OriginArts, a graphic design & CD production company, to help further the exposure of creative artists and their music. In partnership with his ex-drum student, Matt Jorgensen, they have released over 270 recordings by 140 different artists. In 2002, they added another jazz label, OA2 Records, a classical imprint (Origin Classical) in 2008, and in 2003 began Seattle's annual Ballard Jazz Festival.