AUDIO ARCHIVE

• Unknown

Born in 1923 in Chicago, Wilbur Ware began playing professionally after World War II. In the late 1950’s he played with Monk, Coltrane, and Sonny Rollins. At the time of the recordings in this archive, Wilbur Ware’s moment had passed.

A 2006 blog entry from the website of the band The Bad Plus resurrects Wilbur Ware from relative obscurity:

“The most radical Monk bass player was Wilbur Ware…. Ware played with Monk for much of ’57 including a month in the quartet with Coltrane…. From ’56 to ‘58 Ware’s discography is extensive, but then he vanished from the scene, reappearing for a few dates in ’61, some obscure recordings in ‘69-’71, and passing away in ’79 of emphysema.”

“Ware played simply, strongly, and melodically, with a big, percussive sound…. (A)nd many of the albums he made as a sideman are most interesting when he solos, like his two jaw-dropping blues choruses on “Johnny G.G.” from Johnny Griffin’s Sextet…. The most important Wilbur Ware records are three dates with Monk and the Sonny Rollins Village Vanguard set.”

From http://thebadplus.typepad.com/dothemath/2006/01/wilbur_ware.html