Bill Ware

Bill Ware

born on 28/1/1959 in East Orange, NJ, United States

Bill Ware

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Bill Ware

Bill Ware III born William Anthony Ware III (b. January 28, 1959, East Orange, New Jersey) is an American jazz vibraphonist.

Musical career

Ware played bass and piano early in his career, playing at the Harlem Jazzmobile. After spending several years playing Latin jazz, he formed his own Latin Jazz group, AM Sleep. He joined the Jazz Passengers in 1987, and in 1990 put together a group of sidemen as the Club Bird All-Stars, who accompanied him on a tour of Japan.[1] Alongside this, he played with Groove Collective and Steely Dan in the first half of the 1990s. Later in the decade he teamed up with fellow former Jazz Passengers, Brad Jones and E. J. Rodriguez, in the ensemble Vibes. His 2001 tribute to Duke Ellington was recorded with Marc Ribot on guitar. Deborah Harry guested on his 2002 effort Four. In the mid-2000s, Ware did several projects blending jazz with Western classical musicas well as 5 film scores (with fellow Jazz Passengers bandmate Roy Nathanson).

Biography


1977-82- Graduates Montclair State University Bachelor of Art in Music Theory

- 3 years study and substitute teaching Jazz theory and Vibraphone at the Harlem Jazzmobile Workshop (under the direction of Dr. Billy Taylor). Featured soloist with the workshop ensemble.


1982-84

- Adjunct faculty member at William Patterson College teaching Bass for the Latin Jazz Ensemble.
Notable gigs with Chico Mendoza and Steve Turre.


1985-86

- Toured USA east coast as bassist of the Cuban band Kubata with Roberto Borrell (former Director of the Cuban National Ballet).
- Founded 1st band, AM Sleep made first recording Las Sombras released on cassette only (Creageous Records).


1987-99

- Became a charter member of The Jazz Passengers

- Recorded 3 CDs Broken Night/ Red Light,Deranged Decomposed, and Plain Old Joe. - 3 month engagement at Club Bird in Yokohama, Japan.

- Returned to NYC and recorded Long and Skinny (Knitting Factory Records) NYC band The Club Bird All-Stars. Receiving critical acclaim and a 5 star review in Down Beat Magazine.


1991-95

- Became a charter member of acid jazz band Groove Collective and signed recording contracts with Warner Brothers and Windham Hill/High Street. GC recorded self-titled CD. The JP recorded Jazz Passengers in Love featuring Little Jimmy Scott, Debbie Harry, Mavis Staples, Jeff Buckley...

- Joined the famed rock group Steely Dan as percussionist/vibest and toured the US and Japan, recording the band's first live album Alive in America (Giant).

- Appears on Late Night with David Letterman with Steely Dan.
- GC also recorded their 2nd release We the People (GRP records).
- Began a residency at the Knitting Factory Clubs Tap Room with his trio Vibes.


- Recorded/Produced 1st self-titled CD with Groove Thing (Eightball records) This CD included the single release Command and Obey featuring rock singer Deborah Harry.


1996-97 - Recorded/Produced first CD with trio self-titled Vibes (Knitting Factory records).
- Performed on John Lurie film score for Excess Baggage actress Alicia Silverstones first production.
- JPs toured China and Europe extensively.
1998-99 - Recorded/Produced CD With Drawn (Knitting Factory records).
- Toured Europe and U.S. with JPs w/ Deborah Harry, Vibes
- Appears on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
- Signed record deal and recorded 3 CDs with GC Dance of the Drunken Master,Declassified, and Its All -in Your Mind(2 Ware produced tracks) (Shanakie records).
- Recorded/Produced 2nd Eightball records CD This is No Time...
2000-2001 - Extensive touring throughout USA and Europe w/Groove Collective
- Vibes-2 more CDs Leibe Tunina,Vibes 4 (Knitting Factory)
- Solo/Duo - Y2 K Jazz Quartet CD Keepin Up With the Jones, CD Sir Duke w/ Marc Ribot
- Orchestral work- commissioned work- Jazz Passengers w/ Deborah Harry and The Buffalo Philharmonic 9 original arrangement/orchestrations,1 concert conducted by Randall Craig Fleisher
- Completed 2 Symphonies (1) 3 movement,(1)single movement,

Completed first Concerto for Piano and Orchestra- Other recordings as sideman including At Last Megashira, The Man in a jupiter hat Lee Feldman,
Fire at Keatons Bar & Grill Roy Nathanson, I Wish You Love Janis Siegel, Hidden in Plain View Jerome Harris, Spirit Stage JD Parran, Song for Septet Mario Pavone


- Distinguishing shows-1 week at Sweet Basil w/ JPs (singing selections from Keatons CD),

Montreau Jazzfestival in Atlanta GC, Bottom Line w/singer/song writer Phil Roy


- Featured soloist on Joel Dorn production of Janis Siegels solo CD I Wish You Love (Telarc Jazz)
2002- 2003
- Recorded on Elvis Costellos Solo CDs North and When I was Cruel
- Performance of Imitation of a Kiss 10 orchestral pieces w/Jazz Passengers, Deborah Harry and The BBC Concert Orchestra (Conducted by Robert Ziegler) at the Barbican Center in London, England
- Arranged and recorded 2 songs for producer Hal Wilner for Harold Arlen tribute movie featuring

Deborah Harry and Canadas Rene Lee


- Completed Double Concerto for Vibraphone and Piano
- Co-wrote 3 movie scores w/partner Roy Nathanson (1) documentary Chant of Paradisedir.

Shoshana Perry,(2) comedy Martin and Orloff dir. Larry Bloom, (3) drama/ coming of age
Raising Victor Vargas dir. Peter Sollett


- Co-composed & performed live film score w/film Creature from the Black Lagoon w/ The

Jazz Passengers at Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY for Celebrate Brooklyn and Mass Moca, North Hampton, Mass.


- Completed 3rd Symphony (4 movements)
2004 - 2005 - Co-wrote movie score w/partner Nathanson Undefeated for HBO movies. The directorial debut of actor John Leguizamo
- Invited by competition to reading session by the Minnesota Orchestras Composer Institute.

Reading of 2nd movement Das Juengste Kind of 3rd Symphony Symphonie der Familien


- Toured U.S. performing live film score Creature from the Black Lagoon w/ The Jazz Passengers
- Performed in The Rock Concert at the University of Wisconsin at Madison w/ The Jazz Passengers
- Recorded, co-produced, engineered, and performed on CD A Bach Set with Cellist Sara Wollan. This CD also included Bills arrangement for 13 pieces of the Das Juengste Kind, 2nd movement of Symphonie der Familien
- Performed at Brooklyn jazz hotspot Zebulon with legendary avant guard trumpeter /composer /conductor Butch Morris
- Began 2 residences; Puppets Jazz Bar in Park Slope Brooklyn w/ Vibes and The Ace of Clubs

in Manhattan w/ Urban Vibes Bills newest experimental improvisational jam band.


2006-2007
- Continued residencies at Puppets Jazz Bar and The Ace of Clubs
- Distinguishing shows: The Blue Note, The Jazz Standard, The Zinc Bar, Dizzys Room at Lincoln Center,

Tonic, Jazz Maplewoodstock Summer Music festival with trio Vibes. Birdland, Sweet Rhythm
with Teruo Nakamuras Rising Sun Band. The Stone, Zebulon and film score with Butch Morris. Brooklyn Academy, Celebrate Brooklyn Summer Festival opening for Joan Osborne with The JPs, Town Hall for Knitting Factory 20th Anniversary party with Joe Lavano.


- Tours; Italy with JPs, Japan with Teruo Nakamura and Tap dancer Kazu Kumagai/ Vibes.
- Produced/recorded Paradise track for Deborah Harry solo CD Necessary Evil (11-7 recording corp.)

Discography (Solo projects)

  • Los Sombras (with AM Sleep) (1987)
  • Long & Skinny (with Club Bird) (Knitting Factory (1993))
  • The Adventure (with Groove Thing) (Eight Ball 1993))
  • This is No Time... (with Groove Thing)(Knitting Factory (1995))
  • Vibes 4 (Knitting Factory (1998))
  • With Drawn (Knitting Factory (1999))
  • Liebe Tunina (Knitting Factory (2000))
  • Keeping Up with the Jones (with Y2K Quartet) (Cathexis Records (1999))
  • Sir Duke (with Marc Ribot) (Knitting Factory (2001))
  • Four (Knitting Factory) (2002))
  • A Musical Offering (with Sara Wollan) (2003))
  • Bach Set (with Sara Wollan) (Wollanware (2005))
  • Wonder Full (Random Chance (2008))
  • Played Right (Pony Canyon (2010))

References

  1. Steve Huey, [Bill Ware at All Music Guide Bill Ware] at Allmusic
This page was last modified 28.12.2012 23:07:53

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