Wilbur Ware

[Shawn]

If Wilbur Ware is on the album, I want it! Wilbur always sounds like he was 10 feet tall, his sound is just immense. But whereas in lesser hands this tone & attack could have detracted from the overall, Wilbur was a fucking master accompanist. His recordings with Griffin should be required listening for all jazz fans.

[Chuck Nessa]

Ethan Iverson wrote a nice Ware piece for Down Beat a while back. To check out a couple of nice pics of WW, check out the Bad Plus blog here. I was at that gig.

[AndrewHill]

Ethan Iverson wrote a nice Ware piece for Down Beat a while back. To check out a couple of nice pics of WW, check out the Bad Plus blog here. I was at that gig.

How was it? I can only imagine that it was amazing!

[Chuck Nessa]

Very interesting, not amazing.

[AndrewHill]

Very interesting, not amazing.

I have to say, the audience in the background either looked bored or nonplussed. What venue is that? It looks like either a college or a church.

[Chuck Nessa]

A "lounge" in a University of Chicago building.

[Larry Kart]

A "lounge" in a University of Chicago building.

Voila:

http://maps.uchicago.edu/mainquad/reynolds.html

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Pooh gosh! It's imitation Oxbridge!

Shocked...

MG

[johnlitweiler]

Last summer at the Chicago Jazz Festival, in a bop set, Charlie Haden played almost perfect Wilbur Ware for an hour -- the repeated notes, the spelled-out chords, the propulsion. Matt Ferguson, who is Von Freeman's bassist, is another who has that Wilbur Ware quality of swing that lifts you up and bouys you along.

There's a Sept. 1, 1938 Big Bill Broonzy And The Memphis Five Session that includes Wilbur Ware among the "probable" musicians. Gitler-Feather say he was 6 years old at the time, but IIRC other sources say he was 13, and that seems likely. Ware says that he'd begun playing a bass built by his minister-guardian when he was 11. Are there any recordings of Ware in the 1940s?

[Joe G]

A "lounge" in a University of Chicago building.

Voila:

http://maps.uchicago.edu/mainquad/reynolds.html

I spent a couple of weeks exploring the area in and around that campus while my wife was in the UofC hospital for two weeks after surgery. There are some interesting old churches around there, too. The Columbine school shooting occurred during our stay. I could mention a few other things, but that's enough trivia. Back to Wilber Ware...

[paul secor]

Last summer at the Chicago Jazz Festival, in a bop set, Charlie Haden played almost perfect Wilbur Ware for an hour -- the repeated notes, the spelled-out chords, the propulsion. Matt Ferguson, who is Von Freeman's bassist, is another who has that Wilbur Ware quality of swing that lifts you up and bouys you along.

There's a Sept. 1, 1938 Big Bill Broonzy And The Memphis Five Session that includes Wilbur Ware among the "probable" musicians. Gitler-Feather say he was 6 years old at the time, but IIRC other sources say he was 13, and that seems likely. Ware says that he'd begun playing a bass built by his minister-guardian when he was 11. Are there any recordings of Ware in the 1940s?

According to Mike Fitzgerald's discography, one date, led by pianist Johnny Perry in 1949. http://www.jazzdiscography.com/

[Larry Kart]

There's a Sept. 1, 1938 Big Bill Broonzy And The Memphis Five Session that includes Wilbur Ware among the "probable" musicians. Gitler-Feather say he was 6 years old at the time, but IIRC other sources say he was 13, and that seems likely. Ware says that he'd begun playing a bass built by his minister-guardian when he was 11.

Wikipedia says Ware was born Sept. 8, 1923, so he would have been a week short of his 16th birthday at the time of the Broonzy session.

[johnlitweiler]

There's a Sept. 1, 1938 Big Bill Broonzy And The Memphis Five Session that includes Wilbur Ware among the "probable" musicians. Gitler-Feather say he was 6 years old at the time, but IIRC other sources say he was 13, and that seems likely. Ware says that he'd begun playing a bass built by his minister-guardian when he was 11. Are there any recordings of Ware in the 1940s?

[johnlitweiler]

There's a Sept. 1, 1938 Big Bill Broonzy And The Memphis Five Session that includes Wilbur Ware among the "probable" musicians. Gitler-Feather say he was 6 years old at the time, but IIRC other sources say he was 13, and that seems likely. Ware says that he'd begun playing a bass built by his minister-guardian when he was 11.

Wikipedia says Ware was born Sept. 8, 1923, so he would have been a week short of his 16th birthday at the time of the Broonzy session.

Thanks, Larry. 1923 looks right. Ware would have been studying under Truck Parham around that time or a bit later. BTW Ware said he modeled his mature style on Jimmy Blanton with Ellington; Blanton was just 5 years older.

[Larry Kart]

That 1949 band looks promising. J. Parker McDougal was an inspring lyrical tenor saxophonist in the Lester Young tradition.

That's a typo for E. Parker McDougal. Chuck told an amusing story about him here:

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...amp;hl=McDougal

A fine player.

[paul secor]

I was listening to J.R. Monterose's Blue Note record this afternoon, and locked in on Wilbur Ware's playing. That man could swing a band on his own - didn't need a drummer. Even though in this case there was a fine one - Philly Joe - I had the impression while listening that Wilbur Ware was all that was needed.

[AllenLowe]

wilbur ware, wilbur ware -

saw him only once, at the Village Vanguard, 1969 or 1970 -

but I can still hear that bass -

[Shawn]

My favorite jazz bassist, period.

[ValerieB]

good story - how is Leroy these days?

i saw/heard him in August at the Charlie Parker Festival in NY. i'm happy to say that he sounded and looked very together!!

[AllenLowe]

thanks - the rhythm section at my wedding (1982) was Leroy, Skinny Burgan (a great bassist who had worked with Hampton's band in the '50s) and Dick Katz; nice group -

[Lazaro Vega]

Dr. John Hair, a trombonist from Grand Rapids, went to high school with Wilbur Ware's son in Grand Rapids. A couple of years ago Ware's son called me on the air to thank the station for doing well by his dad. The son says he now live in Arizona, I believe it was, but there was a time when his dad lived in Grand Rapids.

I think it was last summer, too, when a bunch of Blue Lake faculty jazz musicians were playing a private party in Grand Rapids, something sponsored by the DeVos family for upper echelon Christian ministers. One of them approached the band and asked, "Have you ever heard of my dad or my brother? My name is (can't recall the first name) Ammons." The band couldn't believe it. Gene Ammons brother said that most of the family went into music, but he's lived his life in the church, to which one of the guys in the band said, "Well, no family is perfect!"

[AllenLowe]

well, the old man was Albert Ammons, who was no slouch either -

[Lazaro Vega]

He was a mofo. The joke, of course, is that the one brother didn't go into music.

[paul secor]

Resurrecting this because I listened to Hank Mobley's Hank album twice in the past week I hate to be repetitious, but Wilbur Ware is amazing on this date. I can't think of another bassist who can grab my attention by just accompanying. The first time I (re)listened to Hank, I just listened to Wilbur Ware - his playing was that unique and that exceptional. Today, I listened and made sure I listened to everyone else on the session. Some fine playing by all, but for me it's a Wilbur Ware session.

There was a recent thread about the team of Paul Chambers and Philly Joe. Wilbur Ware and Philly Joe don't have to take second place to Chambers and Philly, imo.

[Cliff Englewood]

Resurrecting this because I listened to Hank Mobley's Hank album twice in the past week I hate to be repetitious, but Wilbur Ware is amazing on this date. I can't think of another bassist who can grab my attention by just accompanying. The first time I (re)listened to Hank, I just listened to Wilbur Ware - his playing was that unique and that exceptional. Today, I listened and made sure I listened to everyone else on the session. Some fine playing by all, but for me it's a Wilbur Ware session.

There was a recent thread about the team of Paul Chambers and Philly Joe. Wilbur Ware and Philly Joe don't have to take second place to Chambers and Philly, imo.

I think you will have a similar reaction/feelings/enjoyment/whatever by listening to this;

I've listened to it about 5 or 6 times over the last week or so and Wilbur is amazing on this one, as is Philly Joe.