b. New Zealand. Ware began attracting favourable attention after settling in New York City, USA in the early 90s where his fiery brand of free jazz drumming fitted in well with the ongoing downtown scene. Throughout the 80s and 90s, he played with artists such as saxophonist Chris Kelsey and bass player Reuben Radding. Influenced by worldwide ethnic percussion forms, Ware’s polyrhythmic playing, and his composing, bring into free jazz broad bands of colour and aural texture. His self-produced debut, Ed Ware’s Tree, displays many aspects of these global influences, the music hinting throughout at contemporary funk, harmolodics and solid African impulses. His unusual choice of instrumentation for his recording trio, adding to his drums the trombone of Joe Fiedler and the guitar of Jerome Harris (alternating with Pete McCann), added to the overall impression that here was an artist who not only had something new to say but also a new way of saying it.