Bill Ware
Encyclopedia
Bill Ware III born William Anthony Ware III (b. January 28, 1959, East Orange, New Jersey
) is an American jazz
vibraphonist
.
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
. 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 music
as well as 5 film scores (with fellow Jazz Passengers bandmate Roy Nathanson).
■ 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 CD’s “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 bands first live album “Alive in America” (Giant).
- Appears on David Letterman’s “Late Night” with Steely Dan.
- GC also recorded their 2nd release “We the People” (GRP records).
- Began a residency at the Knitting Factory Club’s “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 Silverstone
’s first production.
- JP’s toured China and Europe extensively.
■ 1998-99
- Recorded/Produced CD “With Drawn” (Knitting Factory records).
- Toured Europe and U.S. with JP’s w/ Deborah Harry, Vibes
- Appears on “Late Night” with Conan O’Brian.
- Signed record deal and recorded 3 CD’s with GC “Dance of the Drunken Master”,”Declassified”, and “It’s 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 Keaton’s 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/ JP’s (singing selections from Keaton’s CD),
Montreau Jazzfestival in Atlanta GC, Bottom Line w/singer/song writer Phil Roy
- Featured soloist on Joel Dorn production of Janis Siegel’s solo CD “I Wish You Love” (Telarc Jazz)
■ 2002- 2003
- Recorded on Elvis Costello
’s Solo CD’s “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 Canada’s Rene Lee
- Completed Double Concerto for Vibraphone and Piano
- Co-wrote 3 movie scores w/partner Roy Nathanson (1) documentary “Chant of Paradise”dir.
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 “Puppet’s Jazz Bar” and “The Ace of Clubs”
- Distinguishing shows: The Blue Note, The Jazz Standard, The Zinc Bar, Dizzy’s Room at Lincoln Center,
Tonic, Jazz Maplewoodstock Summer Music festival with trio “Vibes”. Birdland, Sweet Rhythm
with Teruo Nakamura’s Rising Sun Band. The Stone, Zebulon and film score with Butch Morris. Brooklyn Academy, Celebrate Brooklyn Summer Festival opening for Joan Osbourne with The JP’s, Town Hall for Knitting Factory 20th Anniversary party with Joe Lavano.
- Tours; Italy with JP’s, 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.)
East Orange, New Jersey
East Orange is a city in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the city's population 64,270, making it the state's 20th largest municipality, having dropped 5,554 residents from its population of 69,824 in the 2000 Census, when it was the state's 14th most...
) is an American jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
vibraphonist
Vibraphone
The vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
.
Ware played bass and piano early in his career, playing at the Harlem Jazzmobile
Jazzmobile
Jazzmobile, Inc. is based in New York, and was founded in 1964 by Daphne Arnstein, an arts patron and founder of the Harlem Cultural Council and Dr. William "Billy" Taylor. It is a multifaceted, outreach organization committed to bringing "America's Classical Music"—Jazz—to the largest possible...
. After spending several years playing Latin jazz
Latin jazz
Latin jazz is the general term given to jazz with Latin American rhythms.The three main categories of Latin Jazz are Brazilian, Cuban and Puerto Rican:# Brazilian Latin Jazz includes bossa nova...
, 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
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Alongside this, he played with Groove Collective
Groove Collective
Groove Collective is a contemporary jazz group. In 2007 they were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year for the release People People Music Music on the Savoy Jazz label.-Style:Groove Collective was formed in 1990...
and Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
in the first half of the 1990s. Later in the decade he teamed up with fellow former Jazz Passengers, Brad Jones
Brad Jones
Bradley Jones also known as Brad is a retired Australian racing driver. Jones now acts as team co-principal with his brother Kim in the V8 Supercar racing team, Brad Jones Racing.-Motorsport career:...
and E. J. Rodriguez, in the ensemble Vibes. His 2001 tribute to Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
was recorded with Marc Ribot
Marc Ribot
Marc Ribot born May 21, 1954) is an American guitarist and composer.His own work has touched on many styles, including no wave, free jazz, and Cuban music. Ribot is also known for collaborating with other musicians, most notably Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, and composer John Zorn.-Biography:Ribot was...
on guitar. Deborah Harry
Debbie Harry
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers...
guested on his 2002 effort Four. In the mid-2000s, Ware did several projects blending jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
with Western classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
as 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 CD’s “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 bands first live album “Alive in America” (Giant).
- Appears on David Letterman’s “Late Night” with Steely Dan.
- GC also recorded their 2nd release “We the People” (GRP records).
- Began a residency at the Knitting Factory Club’s “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
Debbie Harry
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers...
.
■ 1996-97
- Recorded/Produced first CD with trio self titled “Vibes” (Knitting Factory records).
- Performed on John Lurie
John Lurie
John Lurie is an American actor, musician, painter and producer. He is co-founder of The Lounge Lizards, a jazz ensemble. Lurie has acted in 19 films including Stranger than Paradise and Down by Law, composed and performed music for 20 television and film works, and he produced and starred in...
film score for “Excess Baggage” actress Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone is an American actress, author, and former fashion model. She first came to widespread attention in music videos for Aerosmith, and is perhaps best known for her roles in Hollywood films such as Clueless and her portrayal of Batgirl in Batman & Robin .-Early life:Silverstone...
’s first production.
- JP’s toured China and Europe extensively.
■ 1998-99
- Recorded/Produced CD “With Drawn” (Knitting Factory records).
- Toured Europe and U.S. with JP’s w/ Deborah Harry, Vibes
- Appears on “Late Night” with Conan O’Brian.
- Signed record deal and recorded 3 CD’s with GC “Dance of the Drunken Master”,”Declassified”, and “It’s 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 Keaton’s Bar & Grill” Roy Nathanson
Roy Nathanson
Roy Nathanson has a varied career as a saxophonist, composer, bandleader, actor and teacher. He is leader and principal composer of the Jazz Passengers, a six piece group that he founded with Curtis Fowlkes in 1987. They have toured Europe many times and played at major festivals in Finland,...
, “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/ JP’s (singing selections from Keaton’s CD),
Montreau Jazzfestival in Atlanta GC, Bottom Line w/singer/song writer Phil Roy
- Featured soloist on Joel Dorn production of Janis Siegel’s solo CD “I Wish You Love” (Telarc Jazz)
■ 2002- 2003
- Recorded on Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
’s Solo CD’s “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 Canada’s Rene Lee
- Completed Double Concerto for Vibraphone and Piano
- Co-wrote 3 movie scores w/partner Roy Nathanson (1) documentary “Chant of Paradise”dir.
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
John Leguizamo
Jonathan Alberto "John" Leguizamo is an Colombian-American actor, producer, voice artist, and comedian.-Early life:...
- 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 “Puppet’s Jazz Bar” and “The Ace of Clubs”
- Distinguishing shows: The Blue Note, The Jazz Standard, The Zinc Bar, Dizzy’s Room at Lincoln Center,
Tonic, Jazz Maplewoodstock Summer Music festival with trio “Vibes”. Birdland, Sweet Rhythm
with Teruo Nakamura’s Rising Sun Band. The Stone, Zebulon and film score with Butch Morris. Brooklyn Academy, Celebrate Brooklyn Summer Festival opening for Joan Osbourne with The JP’s, Town Hall for Knitting Factory 20th Anniversary party with Joe Lavano.
- Tours; Italy with JP’s, 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 FactoryKnitting FactoryThe Knitting Factory is a music venue and concert house with locations in Brooklyn, Boise, Reno, and Spokane. The club originally specialized in jazz and experimental music and has expanded to showcasing all genres of music, performing arts and comedy....
(1993) - The Adventure (with Groove Thing) (Eight BallEight ballEight-ball is a pool game popular in much of the world, and the subject of international professional and amateur competition...
, 1993) - This is No Time... (with Groove Thing)(Knitting FactoryKnitting FactoryThe Knitting Factory is a music venue and concert house with locations in Brooklyn, Boise, Reno, and Spokane. The club originally specialized in jazz and experimental music and has expanded to showcasing all genres of music, performing arts and comedy....
, (1995) - Vibes (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 RibotMarc RibotMarc Ribot born May 21, 1954) is an American guitarist and composer.His own work has touched on many styles, including no wave, free jazz, and Cuban music. Ribot is also known for collaborating with other musicians, most notably Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, and composer John Zorn.-Biography:Ribot was...
) (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 CanyonPony Canyonis a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966 , which publishes music, DVD and VHS videos, movies and video games. It is a subsidiary of Japanese Media Group, Fujisankei Communications Group.-History:...
) (2010)