Family and friends fundraise for former Cork Jazz Festival headliner recovering from stroke

In June 2020, Ware suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage – a rare form of stroke - changing his life forever, leaving him unable to speak or to move the right side of his body

Sun, 24 Oct, 2021 - 08:58

Eoin English

With the jazz festival in full swing this weekend, a special appeal has been made to help one of its former headline acts with strong links to the city as he recovers from a devastating stroke.

Jazz pianist Phil Ware, who played with his trio at the 2014 Cork Jazz Festival before he went on to do a six-month residency at the city’s Triskel arts and music venue, was left incapacitated after a stroke in June 2020.

Now, his friends have released a selection of his music for free download in the hope that people will donate to a fund set up to help his recovery.

Born in the UK in 1972, Ware was twice a finalist in the prestigious Young Jazz Musician of the Year competition.

He relocated to Ireland in 2000 and quickly established himself as a major player on the jazz scene.

His trio, with bassist Dave Redmond and drummer Kevin Brady, played throughout Europe, America, Asia and the Middle East, and twice represented Ireland at the Eurojazz Festival in Mexico City.

He played with some of Ireland’s - and the world’s – leading jazz musicians, including Louis Stewart, Peter Bernstein, Perico Sambeat, Bobby Wellins, Honor Heffernan and Ian Shaw, and he began teaching at Newpark Music Centre in 2002, transferring with the rest of the faculty to Dublin City University in 2017, where he was regarded as an inspirational teacher.

In 2016, Ware because the inaugural artist in residence at the Triskel in Cork where he curated and appeared in a series of concerts featuring some of his favourite music and musicians, including a notable performance with US guitarist Peter Bernstein, a celebration of Brazilian composer Hermeto Pascoal featuring German vocalist Marie Seférian, and a special gala concert with R&B legend Georgie Fame.

But in June 2020, Ware suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage – a rare form of stroke - changing his life forever, leaving him unable to speak or to move the right side of his body.

He underwent surgery at Beaumont Hospital, and weeks of specialist care at the Mater Hospital, before he was transferred to the Royal Hospital, Donnybrook to begin rehabilitation.

A group of his close friends, led by renowned vocalist Honor Heffernan and Phil’s half-sister, Alison Cooke, established The Phil Ware Trust to facilitate those who wanted to donate to help him.

And in a few months, more than €50,000 was raised to ensure he gets the treatment and support he will need for the rest of his life.

Friends say his speech is slowly returning and he has regained some movement in his right side, and while it is still unlikely that he will ever regain his former abilities as a performer, his doctors are hopeful that with the right kind of treatment and rehabilitation, he may make further gains in the coming months and years.