a treat for Wilbur Ware fans (and all other jazz bass players)

Bob DUCharme · #1 08-14-2006, 06:22 PM

While doing a Google search I stumbled across the U of Texas at Austin master's thesis of Karl Erik Haddock Seigfried, titled "At Once Old-Timey and Avant-Garde: The Innovation and Influence of Wilbur Ware (PDF file). To show Ware's place in bass playing history, Seigfried does a great job of describing the history of the instrument before Ware, its influence on him, his role in the evolution of the instrument while he was active, and his influence on bass players since then. So, if you play the jazz bass and you're not interested in Ware (which would be a shame), there's still some great history laid out, with transcriptions of Walter Page, Ware, and Paul Chambers in appendixes. It's a pretty valuable resource considering the price.

Bob DuCharme

damonsmith · #2 08-14-2006, 08:11 PM

Sigfried is apparently a great player himself. He plays with a drummer friend of mine in Chicago.

mrpc · #3 08-15-2006, 12:41 AM

Great piece of work. Thankyou..... this paper is a very eloquent treatise on alot of the history of our famous and influential jazz bassists. And Thank-You again.

Andy Allen · #4 08-15-2006, 12:49 AM

Thanks a lot for that link - all I knew about him until now was from the short chapter in John Goldsby's Jazz Bass book and Sonny Rollins' recordings at the Village Vanguard.

Now that I'm a little more edjamacated on Wilbur I'll be checking out more of his recordings.

Andy

warenut · #5 08-27-2006, 05:22 PM

Thank you, Bob. He was heavy heavy heavy. Dave Holland talked about going to see him play in New York in the 70s, every chance he could, always being floored by the music that Wilbur made with seemingly "limited" technical ability.

Check out "Monk's Music", "Thelonius Monk & John Coltrane", Johhny Griffin's "Way Out." Wilbur lead one date as a leader (that I know of) called either "The Chicago Scene" or "The Chicago Sound."

Some great younger players in NYC (Ben Street, Chris Lightcap) hipped me to the Gospel of Wilbur. Hence the moniker.

Andy Allen · #6 08-27-2006, 06:55 PM

I heard a track on Kjazz the other day that had some great-sounding bass on it.

Turns out it was Wilbur on Sonny Clark's first recording "Dial S For Sonny" - or so I thought I heard from the DJ. I like Sonny Clarke a lot, but have only heard him with Paul Chambers (which is certainly one reason I like him). I'll be trying to track that CD down at Amoeba records.

Andy

P.S. Thanks for the info warenut - I wish I could turn my "limited technical ability" into as fine music as Wilbur did.

abaguer · #7 08-28-2006, 01:32 AM

Thanks. This is terrific.

warenut · #8 08-29-2006, 12:08 AM

Sorry guys. Just a few more. Johhny Griffin has a sextet record with an amazing version of "Woody n You." There's also a great Blue Mitchell sextet called "Big Six." "Monk Meets Mulligan" is, for my taste, not as happening. But there you go.

Lots of Wilbur to digest.

oliebrice · #9 05-21-2008, 04:48 AM

excuse me bringing up such an old thread...

All Wilbur Ware fans should check out a Walt Dickerson (rip) album called 'tell us only the beautiful things'. its out of print but is kicking round the internet as a free download - if you can't find it let me know and I'll have a look and post a link.

its a trio, with Andrew Cyrille on drums, and its freer and more modern than anything else you've ever heard WW play, but still as deep and swinging as anything...

bassist14 · #10 05-21-2008, 05:16 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVMfpqMmKBU

Ed Fuqua · #11 05-21-2008, 11:59 AM

My buddy Hyland gave me two discs (from what he said was a seven disc set) of interviews done with Wilbur at the behest of the Smithsonian, I've not made it through the first disc yet, but it's great hearing Wilbur's voice.

milomo · #12 05-21-2008, 12:23 PM

Lew Tabackin told me that one of the times he subbed for Joe Farrell in Elvin's trio Wilbur was on the gig, and he said it was some of the greatest bass playing he's ever heard, let alone played with. Whatever note Lew played Wilbur always seemed to play the perfect accompanying note, when Lew played flute, Wilbur was able to change the timbre of his notes to work with Lew's, he just raved about him, and Lew is definitely not the raving type. The jist of it was Wilbur made Lew sound as good as he possibly could, and even better than he really was, and when you think about it, what better compliment is there for an accompanist.

pmckee · #13 05-21-2008, 12:30 PM

I figure that a lot of those who are into Wilbur Ware might be into Victor Sproles. Can anyone recommend some recordings with him on bass? There isn't a lot about him online

thanks
Pat

milomo · #14 05-21-2008, 01:01 PM

Here's what I can think of off the top of my head -
The Rumproller - Lee Morgan
Dance With Death - Andrew Hill
'S Make It - Art Blakey
Battle Stations - Griff & Lockjaw

I know he's on at least one Carmen McRae record, and I think Sun Ra as well. I'm also pretty sure he's on Carmen's portion of this, and he all over the London portion of this. This and this are from the Blakey DVD - I really want to know what's up with that big bandage on his left hand!

oliebrice · #15 05-21-2008, 01:04 PM

do you know if those are generally available, Ed?

pmckee · #16 05-21-2008, 02:07 PM

thanks milomo, I'll check this stuff out.

Ed Fuqua · #17 05-21-2008, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oliebrice

do you know if those are generally available, Ed?

I think so, they seem to be part of a series that either the Smithsonian or Library of Congress put together. I'll check'er out.

Monte · #18 05-25-2008, 12:25 PM

I downloaded Wilbur's leader recording off of Emusic this week, and it is some great stuff. Johnny Griffin lays me out on Latin Quarters.

damonsmith · #19 05-25-2008, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oliebrice

excuse me bringing up such an old thread...

All Wilbur Ware fans should check out a Walt Dickerson (rip) album called 'tell us only the beautiful things'. its out of print but is kicking round the internet as a free download - if you can't find it let me know and I'll have a look and post a link.

its a trio, with Andrew Cyrille on drums, and its freer and more modern than anything else you've ever heard WW play, but still as deep and swinging as anything...

There is another one called 1976, with Jamaladeen Tacuma on one piece and the rest trio with Ware. Another good one is Charles Moffett's "The Gift".
I still think the Rollins trio is his best.

mattfong · #20 05-25-2008, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oliebrice

excuse me bringing up such an old thread...

All Wilbur Ware fans should check out a Walt Dickerson (rip) album called 'tell us only the beautiful things'. its out of print but is kicking round the internet as a free download - if you can't find it let me know and I'll have a look and post a link.

its a trio, with Andrew Cyrille on drums, and its freer and more modern than anything else you've ever heard WW play, but still as deep and swinging as anything...

I just found the download... Great stuff, thanks for letting us know about it

I'd like to hear some more traditional stuff too though, This is the first I've heard of Wilbur.