One of the early electric guitarists, Ware played on clarinetist/saxophonist Sidney Bechet's first (belated) recordings as leader in November 1938 for the Vocalion label. Soon after, Bechet teamed Ware with fellow guitarist Jimmy Shirley, making the group perhaps the first to include two electric guitars. Ware attended Tuskegee Institute in his youth, where he learned to play oboe. He switched to guitar and began leading his own trio, which performed in New York during the ‘30s and ‘40s. Besides his work with Bechet, Ware also recorded with Buddy Johnson, Don Byas, Joe Turner, and Albinia Jones. He recorded as a leader in 1947; shortly thereafter, Ware stopped working as a full-time musician. ~ Chris Kelsey, Rovi