Go See the World
October 19, 2012 6:22 AM Subscribe
Jazz saxophonist David S. Ware passed away yesterday at age 62.
Mentored by Sonny Rollins, whose 'Freedom Suite' he would later cover, Ware got his start in the loft-jazz scene of '70s NYC, playing with people like Cecil Taylor and Andrew Cyrille. In the '90s, he led an acclaimed quartet that featured William Parker, Matthew Shipp and drummers like Whit Dickey, Susie Ibarra and Guillermo Brown. In the 2000s, he recorded albums for the Thirsty Ear and Aum Fidelity labels. He spent the last two years of his life in the group Planetary Unknown with Parker, Cooper-Moore and Muhammad Ali.
Ware suffered from kidney disease, and received a transplant donation after an email appeal was sent out to a thousand of his fans. He is featured in the documentary short 'A World of Sound.' This is the most recent live performance video I could find.
Mentored by Sonny Rollins, whose 'Freedom Suite' he would later cover, Ware got his start in the loft-jazz scene of '70s NYC, playing with people like Cecil Taylor and Andrew Cyrille. In the '90s, he led an acclaimed quartet that featured William Parker, Matthew Shipp and drummers like Whit Dickey, Susie Ibarra and Guillermo Brown. In the 2000s, he recorded albums for the Thirsty Ear and Aum Fidelity labels. He spent the last two years of his life in the group Planetary Unknown with Parker, Cooper-Moore and Muhammad Ali.
Ware suffered from kidney disease, and received a transplant donation after an email appeal was sent out to a thousand of his fans. He is featured in the documentary short 'A World of Sound.' This is the most recent live performance video I could find.
♩♫ ♪ ♬
posted by NordyneDefenceDynamics at 6:34 AM on October 19, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by NordyneDefenceDynamics at 6:34 AM on October 19, 2012 [1 favorite]
He was an amazing performer, a gentle soul and someone who I will miss dearly.
WKCR is having a memorial broadcast starting today at noon eastern.
posted by caddis at 6:44 AM on October 19, 2012 [1 favorite]
WKCR is having a memorial broadcast starting today at noon eastern.
posted by caddis at 6:44 AM on October 19, 2012 [1 favorite]
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posted by cobra libre at 6:54 AM on October 19, 2012
posted by cobra libre at 6:54 AM on October 19, 2012
Silence doesn't seem appropriate. Rather, a beautiful cacophony of release. But this is all I've got:
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posted by Egg Shen at 6:56 AM on October 19, 2012
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posted by Egg Shen at 6:56 AM on October 19, 2012
I hadn't heard of him. Checking out on Spotify now. Thanks for the post!
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:33 AM on October 19, 2012
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:33 AM on October 19, 2012
From Matthew Shipp's Facebook:
thank you david s ware for letting me in your world for 16 years--i will always cherish our relationship and your tremendous musicality---your compositions are gems and i will always cherish your stance you took in the music within this cespool that is out here --the 16 years in spent in your quartet i have no words for the experience--i have many many great memories---david the impact you have made on modern music is deep and lasting and i am sure we will be see it manifest in many ways in upcoming years as the modern music world slowly grasps your tremendous contribution
posted by box at 7:55 AM on October 19, 2012 [1 favorite]
thank you david s ware for letting me in your world for 16 years--i will always cherish our relationship and your tremendous musicality---your compositions are gems and i will always cherish your stance you took in the music within this cespool that is out here --the 16 years in spent in your quartet i have no words for the experience--i have many many great memories---david the impact you have made on modern music is deep and lasting and i am sure we will be see it manifest in many ways in upcoming years as the modern music world slowly grasps your tremendous contribution
posted by box at 7:55 AM on October 19, 2012 [1 favorite]
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posted by Seekerofsplendor at 11:33 AM on October 19, 2012
posted by Seekerofsplendor at 11:33 AM on October 19, 2012
God damn it. I thought I'd gotten inured to the obit parade, but this really hits me hard. (Fun fact: I'll be 62 next July.) As I wrote in my New Jazz post, Ware was "to my mind the greatest tenorman since Trane—see him live and you'll never forget it." I'm just glad I got the opportunity. As the only tribute I can come up with in the stunned moment, I'll just list the albums of his I currently own; I recommend them all:
Passage to Music (Silkheart, 1988)
Great Bliss, Vol. 1 (Silkheart, 1990)
Flight of I (DIW, 1991)
Earthquation (DIW, 1994)
Oblations and Blessings (Silkheart, 1995)
Dao (Homestead, 1995)
Godspelized (DIW, 1996)
Wisdom of Uncertainty (AUM Fidelity, 1996)
Go See the World (Columbia, 1997)
Surrendered (Columbia, 1999)
Corridors & Parallels (AUM Fidelity, 2001)
Freedom Suite (AUM Fidelity, 2002)
Thanks for the post and the Shipp quote, box.
posted by languagehat at 12:49 PM on October 19, 2012 [1 favorite]
Passage to Music (Silkheart, 1988)
Great Bliss, Vol. 1 (Silkheart, 1990)
Flight of I (DIW, 1991)
Earthquation (DIW, 1994)
Oblations and Blessings (Silkheart, 1995)
Dao (Homestead, 1995)
Godspelized (DIW, 1996)
Wisdom of Uncertainty (AUM Fidelity, 1996)
Go See the World (Columbia, 1997)
Surrendered (Columbia, 1999)
Corridors & Parallels (AUM Fidelity, 2001)
Freedom Suite (AUM Fidelity, 2002)
Thanks for the post and the Shipp quote, box.
posted by languagehat at 12:49 PM on October 19, 2012 [1 favorite]
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posted by hototogisu at 2:35 PM on October 19, 2012
posted by hototogisu at 2:35 PM on October 19, 2012
Never my cuppa. Tried but, like his cohort Shipp, I couldn't manage to love it.
Still, a TITAN, and far, far, too young.
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posted by Joseph Gurl at 7:21 PM on October 19, 2012
Still, a TITAN, and far, far, too young.
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posted by Joseph Gurl at 7:21 PM on October 19, 2012
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