Isaac Bishop is a prolific multi-instrumentalist based in Atlanta that has been a part of countless projects and recordings within the community over the past decade. His solo recordings are inspired by hard bop, fusion, ethio-jazz, and post-punk. The focus is on heavily improvised performance, akin to Isaac's larger experimental group Flea Circus, but within more structured and composed frameworks. Most recently, Isaac released A Path of Many EP August 12, 2025 on his label flz recordings. The Isaac Bishop Ensemble adds other collaborators from Flea Circus and adjacent projects to bring Isaac's solo recordings onto the stage, with previous performances at Inner Space and Halfway Crooks Biergarten.

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Flea Circus began October 27, 2020 in an infested apartment in Little 5 Points. Hannah Neal and Isaac Bishop, both active with numerous Atlanta bands, were looking for a separate musical outlet, based more on free performance, noise, and chance. After a few DIY recording sessions straight to tape, the project began evolving with their first live performance at Elliott St. Pub in June of 2022, featuring the addition of Cooper Dozier and Henry Kellam. Gradually more collaborators began joining, with members ranging from Atlanta bands such as Vessel, Lowtown, CDSM, Swellshark, Slime Ring, Scare Quotes, Resident Purple, and Come Senior among others. A session at Mirror Mirror Recording in August 2022 led to the January 2024 album, Machinator, and the debut for their adjacent label, flz recordings.

Flea Circus has continued their experimental improvisations since, with performances at Live at WREK 91.1, the EARL, Eyedrum, Innerspace, Aisle 5, and a January 2025 residency at 529.. The addition of visual effects by Ford Kent has added to the experience of their live show, while the ever changing lineup and adventurous approach guarantees a new experience every time.

MNCM is committed to being an open and welcoming space for Atlanta’s creative musicians and curious audiences. Our weekly programming intends to support our city’s diverse musical communities, and build momentum for improvised, experimental, avant garde jazz, contemporary classical, electronic, and other musical practices in the Southeast by presenting local, regional, and international touring artists.