Bill Ware

Bill Ware III born William Anthony Ware III (b. January 28, 1959, East Orange, New Jersey) is an American jazz vibraphonist.

Musical career
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 musicas 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 band's first live album “Alive in America” (Giant). - Appears on “Late Night with David Letterman” 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'Brien”.

- 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 Osborne 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 Factory (1993))
 * The Adventure (with Groove Thing) (Eight Ball 1993))
 * This is No Time... (with Groove Thing)(Knitting Factory (1995))
 * Vibes 4 (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 Ribot) (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 Canyon (2010))