David S. Ware

A tenor saxophonist of immense power and spiritual intensity who was a leading figure in the free jazz movement from the 1990s onward. Ware's sound was a direct extension of the 'fire music' of John Coltrane and Albert Ayler, characterized by a huge, volcanic tone and marathon solos of breathtaking energy. His quartet, featuring pianist Matthew Shipp, was one of the most acclaimed and uncompromising ensembles of its era, carrying the legacy of 1960s spiritual jazz into the modern age.