Wallace Roney (May 25, 1960 – March 31, 2020) was an American jazz (hard bop and post-bop) trumpeter. He won one Grammy award and was nominated twice.
Roney took lessons from Clark Terry and Dizzy Gillespie and studied with Miles Davis from 1985 until the latter's death in 1991. Wallace credited Davis as having helped to challenge and shape his creative approach to life as well as being his music instructor, mentor, and friend; he was the only trumpet player Davis personally mentored.
Early life and education
thumb|left|Wallace Roney at Monterey Jazz Festival 9/92
Roney was born in Philadelphia. He studied at Howard University and Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, after graduating from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts of the D. C. Public Schools, where he learned trumpet with Langston Fitzgerald of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Found to have perfect pitch at the age of four, Wallace began his musical and trumpet studies at Philadelphia's Settlement School of Music. Hering regularly presented Wallace at recitals at the Settlement School, and with the Philadelphia Brass Ensemble, during his studies in Philadelphia.
In 1983, while taking part in a tribute to Miles Davis at "The Bottom Line" in Manhattan, he met his idol. "He [Davis] asked me what kind of trumpet I had," Roney told Time magazine, "and I told him none. So he gave me one of his." In 1984 and 1985, he was forced to play in Latin dance and reception bands, as the New York clubs, once a prominent part of the jazz scene, had mostly disappeared. But in 1986, he received a pair of calls, in the same month, to tour with drummers Tony Williams and Art Blakey, after which Roney became one of the most in-demand trumpet players on the professional circuit.
In 1986, he succeeded Terence Blanchard in Blakey's Jazz Messengers.
Roney learned his craft directly from Miles Davis. The two artists collaborated on records on many occasions during the 1990s and 2000s, on records released under each artist's name.
Earlier in his life, Roney had been a resident of Montclair, New Jersey.
Movie credits
- 2001 - The Visit - Jordan Walker-Perlman - music arrangement
- 1996 - Love Jones - music arrangement
Discography
As leader/co-leader
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Recording date
! Title
! Label
! Year released
! Notes
|-
| 1987-02 || Verses || Muse || 1987 ||
|-
| 1988-01 || Intuition || Muse || 1988 ||
|-
| 1989-03 || The Standard Bearer || Muse || 1989 ||
|-
| 1989-05 || What's New || Nippon Crown || 1989 ||
|-
| 1990-09 || Obsession || Muse || 1991 ||
|-
| 1991-09 || Seth Air || Muse || 1991 ||
|-
| 1993-06 || Munchin || Muse || 1993 ||
|-
| 1993-07 || Crunchin || Muse || 1993 ||
|-
| 1992-09, <br/>1994 || A Tribute to Miles with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams, Ron Carter || Qwest/Reprise/Warner Bros. || 1994 ||
|-
| 1994 || Mistérios || Warner Bros. || 1994 || Arranged and conducted by Gil Goldstein
|-
| 1995-02 || The Wallace Roney Quintet || Warner Bros. || 1996 ||
|-
| 1996-12 || Village || Warner Bros. || 1997 ||
|-
| 2000-03, <br/>2000-04 || No Room for Argument || Stretch || 2000 ||
|-
| 2004-02 || Prototype || HighNote || 2004 ||
|-
| 2005-05 || Mystikal || HighNote || 2005 ||
|-
| 2007-03 || Jazz || HighNote || 2007 ||
|-
| 2009-07, <br/>2009-08 || If Only for One Night || HighNote || 2010 ||
|-
| 2010-11 || Home || HighNote || 2012 ||
|-
| 2012-06, <br/>2012-07 || Understanding || HighNote || 2013 ||
|-
| 2016-06 || A Place in Time || HighNot || 2016 ||
|-
| 2018-09, <br/>2018-12 || Blue Dawn-Blue Nights || HighNote || 2019 ||
|}
Compilation
- No Job Too Big or Small (32 Jazz, 2003) – Muse recordings
As a member
Superblue
- Superblue 2 (Blue Note, 1990) – rec. 1989
As sideman
With Geri Allen
- Maroons (Blue Note, 1992)
- Eyes in the Back of Your Head (Blue Note, 1997) – rec. 1995-96
- The Gathering (Verve, 1998)
- Timeless Portraits and Dreams (Telarc, 2006)
With Cindy Blackman
- Arcane (Muse, 1988) – rec. 1987
- Code Red (Muse, 1992) – rec. 1990
With Art Blakey
- Killer Joe with George Kawaguchi (Union Jazz, 1982) – rec. 1981
- Art Blakey And Jazz Messengers ("San Marco Cafe", Miami, FL, January 11, 1986) (Arco 3, 1990) – rec. 1986
- Feeling Good (Delos, 1986)
With Chick Corea
- Remembering Bud Powell (Stretch, 1997) – rec. 1996
- The Musician (Concord Jazz, 2017)[3CD]
With Vincent Herring
- Evidence (Landmark, 1991) – rec. 1990
- Dawnbird (Landmark, 1993) – rec. 1991-92
- Simple Pleasure (HighNote, 2001)
With Tony Williams
- Civilization (Blue Note, 1987) – rec. 1986
- Angel Street (Blue Note, 1988)
- Native Heart (Blue Note, 1990) – rec. 1989
- Tokyo Live (Blue Note, 1993)[2CD] – live rec. 1992
With others
- Kenny Barron, What If? (Enja, 1986)
- Samuel Blaser, Early in the Mornin (OutNote, 2018) – rec. 2017
- Donald Brown, Born to be Blue (Space Time, 2013)
- Terri Lyne Carrington, Jazz Is a Spirit (ACT, 2002)
- Joey DeFrancesco, Where Were You? (Columbia, 1990)
- Miles Davis, Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux also with Quincy Jones (Warner Bros., 1993) – rec. 1991
- Bill Evans, Escape (Escapade Music, 1996)
- Ricky Ford, Interpretations (Muse, 1982)
- Letizia Gambi, Introducing Letizia Gambi (Jando Music|Via Veneto Jazz, 2012)
- Kenny Garrett, Garrett 5 (Paddle Wheel, 1989) - recorded in 1988
- Dizzy Gillespie, To Diz with Love (Telarc, 1992)
- Helen Merrill, Brownie: Homage to Clifford Brown (Verve, 1994)
- David Murray, Geri Allen, and Terri Lyne Carrington, Perfection (Motéma, 2016)
- Makoto Ozone, Three Wishes (Verve, 1998) – rec. 1997
- Powerhouse, In an Ambient Way (Chesky, 2015)
- David Sanborn, Inside (Elektra, 1999)
- Jarmo Savolainen, First Sight (Timeless, 1992)
- James Spaulding, Brilliant Corners (Muse, 1990) – rec. 1988
- Joe Louis Walker, Pasa Tiempo (Evidence Music, 2002)
- Randy Weston and Melba Liston, Volcano Blues (Verve, 1993)
- Christopher Hollyday, Christopher Hollyday (BMG, 1989)
References
External links
- Profile, AllAboutJazz.com
- Fulfilling the Promise
- Following in Miles Davis' Footsteps, npr.org
- Biography, enotes.com
- Wallace Roney Interview NAMM Oral History Library (2018)