Even the most prodigious and focused composers can be struck by the need to reset. Vibraphonist and composer Bill Ware had been on an ambitious mission to write a vast catalog of music when he was struck by the need to simplify his sound. This led to new pieces for his elastic ensemble, the Club Bird All-Stars, which required trust and understanding in their delicate dance of harmony and rhythm, as can be heard on Ware’s new recording, Martian Sunset. Best known for his work with The Jazz Passengers and Groove Collective, Bill Ware has been an asset in collaborations across multiple genres, featuring in the work of well-known musicians and bands, like Steely Dan and Elvis Costello. Ware has maintained his own ensembles for just as long. One of the longest lived has been his Club Bird All-Stars, which takes its name from a long-gone Japanese jazz club that provided Ware a three-month residency in the mid-1990s.

The Club Bird All-Stars have become Ware’s main vehicle for his own compositions. The flexible group has a rotating cast of horn and rhythm players, suiting the needs of Ware’s pieces. As for the music, Ware’s writing has been expansive since 2016. He wrote over 250 songs since 2016 and including 60 pieces while the world experienced the pandemic.

Ware made a change in his ensemble when he began thinking of recording his new music. He decided to include his longtime friend and collaborator, guitarist Rez Abbasi, whose loose approach, rich sound, and rhythmic virtuosity adds a wonderful dimension to the intricate ensemble sound provided by the polished grooves of pianist Matt King, bassist Jay Anderson, and drummer Taru Alexander.

Changing lanes in the midst of a project is always a difficult choice to make. Bill Ware chose a change of tack in order to serve the music of Martian Sunset, providing a more expansive view of his music as performed by his long running band and musical foundry, the Club Bird All-Stars.