Wilbur goods

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Wilbur Bernard goods (* 8. September 1923 in Chicago ; † 9. September 1979 in Philadelphia ) was an American jazz - bassist .

Wilbur Ware was one of the most important innovators in bass playing in the 1950s. His role models were Jimmy Blanton and Israel Crosby . He accompanied Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins , among others .

Live and act

Ware began playing the banjo and drums , tutored by his foster father. Soon he switched to bass; this was followed by appearances in amateur groups and local bands. He had his first professional engagements with Big Bill Broonzy and in the late 1940s with Sidney Bechet , Stuff Smith , Roy Eldridge and Sonny Stitt . Ware played in Chicago together with Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson 1954-55, then with Art Blakey 1956. From 1956 he was based in New York and worked with Buddy DeFranco , Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk (1957) and JR Monterose (1959) or own bands. Ware also worked on recordings by Johnny Griffin , Hank Mobley , Lee Morgan , Zoot Sims , Sonny Clark , Kenny Dorham and Elvin Jones .

In 1957 the LP The Chicago Sound was released under his own name . Drug problems and illnesses as a result frequently interrupted his musical career in the 1960s and 1970s. He played with Blue Mitchell , Monk, Mobley, Archie Shepp and Clifford Jordan during this period . Most recently Wilbur Ware lived in Philadelphia, where he made his own records with Walt Dickerson .

Ware influenced musicians like Charlie Haden with his bass style , who described him as "the most underrated, fantastic musician of all time". Bassist Buell Neidlinger said: "Wilbur Ware made little more than any bassist I have ever heard". Ware played the bass neither like a wind nor a guitar, but instrument-specific, concentrating on those finger positions that sound good (and long), or often on empty pages.

Selection discography

With Thelonious Monk

With Sonny Rollins

More shots as a sideman

  • Zoot Sims: Zoot! (Riverside / OJC, 1956)
  • Ernie Henry: Presenting Ernie Henry (Riverside / OJC, 1956)
  • Kenny Dorham: 2 Horns, 2 Rhythms (Riverside / OJC, 1957)
  • Kenny Drew: Pal Joey (Riverside / OJC, 1957)
  • Matthew Gee: Jazz by Gee (Riverside / OJC, 1957)
  • Toots Tielemans: Man Bites Harmonica (Riverside / OJC, 1957)
  • Johnny Griffin: Way Out and Johnny Griffin Sextet (both Riverside / OJC, 1958)
  • Blue Mitchell: Big 6 and Blues on My Mind (both Riverside / OJC, 1958)
  • Grant Green: Standards (Blue Note, 1961)
  • Clifford Jordan: Mosaic (Milestone, 1992)

swell

  1. ↑ Kunzler, Jazzlexikon, p. 1243
  2. ↑ dto.

literature

personal data
SURNAME Ware, Wilbur
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ware, Wilbur Bernard (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz bassist
DATE OF BIRTH September 8, 1923
PLACE OF BIRTH Chicago
DATE OF DEATH September 9, 1979
Place of death Philadelphia