David S. Ware | |
|---|---|
 David S. Ware | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | David Spencer Ware |
| Born | (1949-11-07)November 7, 1949 Plainfield,New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | (2012-10-18)October 18, 2012 (aged 62) New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz,free jazz,avant-garde jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, bandleader |
| Instrument | Saxophone |
| Labels | Silkheart,DIW,Homestead,AUM Fidelity,Columbia,Thirsty Ear |
| Website | davidsware.com |
David Spencer Ware (November 7, 1949 – October 18, 2012)[1][2] was an American jazzsaxophonist,[3] composer, and bandleader.
Ware was born inPlainfield, New Jersey, and grew up inScotch Plains, New Jersey. While in high school he attended music camp at theUniversity of Connecticut taught byRon Carter,Charlie Mariano, andAlan Dawson and played in his school's bands as well as in the New Jersey All-State band. He graduated fromScotch Plains-Fanwood High School and briefly attended theBerklee College of Music in 1967–68.[4]
Ware moved from Boston to New York City in 1973, where he participated in theloft jazz scene, and later worked as a cab driver for 14 years in order to focus on his own group concept.[5] In the early 1980s, he returned to Scotch Plains with his wife Setsuko S. Ware.
Ware's debut album as a leader was recorded in 1977 – together with pianist Gene Ashton (akaCooper-Moore) and drummerMarc Edwards – and released byHatHut in 1979. He performed and recorded with the groups of pianistCecil Taylor and drummerAndrew Cyrille in the mid-late 1970s. He formed his own quartet in 1989. The group was originally composed of Ware, pianistMatthew Shipp, bassistWilliam Parker, and drummerMarc Edwards. While Shipp and Parker were members for the group's entire existence, the drum chair was later occupied byWhit Dickey,Susie Ibarra, andGuillermo E. Brown.
The David S. Ware Quartet performed across the US and Europe and released a series of increasingly acclaimed albums spanning the 1990s on the independent labelsSilkheart,DIW,Homestead, andAUM Fidelity. SaxophonistBranford Marsalis signed Ware toColumbia Records in 1998 for a three-album contract.[6] In 2001, jazz criticGary Giddins described Ware's quartet as "the best small band in jazz today".[6] In 2007, after 17 years together, the quartet was disbanded following the release of the albumRenunciation and a final European tour that spring. Ware proceeded to perform concerts and record albums with a series of new group configurations: a new quartet featuring guitaristJoe Morris, William Parker, and drummerWarren Smith; a special trio celebrating his 50th year of playing saxophone (in 2009) with Parker and Smith; a 2-volume series of solo saxophone performances; and finally with his last quartet, Planetary Unknown, featuringCooper-Moore, Parker, and drummerMuhammad Ali. His final concert performance was with Planetary Unknown on August 27, 2011, at Jazzfestival Saalfelden in Austria. The recording of that concert was released in July 2012 onAUM Fidelity.
Ware was first diagnosed with kidney failure in 1999. He continued a decade of creative activity while on a strict regimen ofperitoneal dialysis, and Ware underwent a successfulkidney transplantation in May 2009.[7] The organ donor was Floridian Laura Mehr, who responded to an urgent email message sent out to nearly 1,000 of Ware's fans.[8] He returned to the stage that October, and continued to perform and record highly acclaimed work for the next two years, even as he endured serious complications brought on by required immunosuppressant medication.[9] He finally succumbed to an aggressive blood infection[10] and died on October 18, 2012, atRobert Wood Johnson University Hospital inNew Brunswick, New Jersey, age 62.[11]
WithAhmed Abdullah
With Abdul Hannan / The Third World
WithAndrew Cyrille& Maono
With DJ Wally
WithCecil TaylorUnit
WithBeaver Harris
WithAhmed Abdullah
WithCooper-Moore
WithWilliam Parker
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) 31 July 2001, URL accessed 30 April 2012.| International | |
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