By the time he began to study music at Oxford in 1992 Alex Ward had already participated in two of Derek Bailey’s annual Company weeks and had released an Incus CD of duets with percussionist Steve Noble. At Oxford he began playing with locally based improvisors including Pat Thomas and Jim Denley. He also met electronics player Switch (Benjamin Hervé) with whom he formed the duo The XIII Ghosts. Since 2000 Ward has been based in London and has performed with an impressive roster of musicians including Joe Morris, Wadada Leo Smith, Butch Morris, Eugene Chadbourne, Duck Baker and Joe Williamson. He has been a member of Simon Fell’s ensembles, has performed in a duo with Roger Turner and in a quartet with Dominic Lash, Alexander Hawkins and Paul May. Ward plays guitar in the avant rock duo Dead Days Beyond Help, with drummer Jem Doulton, and in the power trio N.E.W. with Steve Noble and John Edwards. Ward has recently issued Old Sights New Sounds (Incus), a series of duets with Lol Coxhill.
