Wallace Roney

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Wallace Roney (2004)

Wallace Roney (born May 25, 1960 in Philadelphia , † March 31, 2020 in Paterson , New Jersey ) was an American jazz trumpeter . Influenced by early and middle Miles Davis and Clifford Brown , but also by Kenny Dorham and Woody Shaw , he was the most important trumpeter of his generation who was in the tradition of Miles Davis. However, he has developed his own style, for example with regard to chromatics .

Live and act

Roney, whose father was an amateur drummer, tried his hand at the trumpet from the age of four, but initially took piano lessons before receiving trumpet lessons from Sigmund Haring of the Philadelphia Orchestra at the age of nine . Before attending Duke Ellington High School for the Performing Arts , he had made his first recordings at the age of fourteen. In 1976 he accompanied Haki R. Madhubuti . He then studied at Berklee College of Music and Howard University . In 1979 he went with Abdullah Ibrahim (1979) and then kept himself afloat with day jobs. Before Miles Davis gave him one of his instruments, he practiced on a borrowed trumpet. From 1980 to 1982 he first belonged to Art Blakeys Jazz Messengers , to which he returned three times, in 1987 to serve as their musical director.

For the next several years he worked in the groups of McCoy Tyner , Cedar Walton , Philly Joe Jones , Chico Freeman , Elvin Jones , Ricky Ford , Cindy Blackman and Tony Williams . From 1987 he led his own bands; he played with the drummers Marvin Smitty Smith and Cody Moffett , the pianists Geri Allen , Kenny Barron , Randy Weston and the Finn Jarmo Savolainen as well as with Kenny Garrett , James Spaulding , Vincent Herring and Christopher Hollyday . In 1991 he took part in Miles Davis' legendary performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival ( Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux ). Wallace, whose trumpet tone is very similar to that of Davis, played part of the solos in Montreux. After the death of Miles Davis he went on a memorial tour with Herbie Hancock , Ron Carter , Wayne Shorter and Tony Williams; he also appeared on the tribute album Re-Birth of the Cool, directed by Gerry Mulligan , and was a member of the Dizzy Gillespie Tribute Band (1991).

Roney has appeared as a sideman with musicians including Walter Davis Jr. , Jay McShann , David Murray and as a soloist with Ornette Coleman , Sonny Rollins , Curtis Fuller , Carole King , Joni Mitchell and Dizzy Gillespie. In 2001 he toured with All Star formations around Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea . At the age of 40 he was already involved in recordings on 250 sound carriers.

Roney is considered to be the most important neoclassical trumpeter in jazz; in chromatics he was an independent finisher of the hardbop of the 50s and 60s.

Roney was married to Geri Allen ; they can be heard together a. on their album The Gathering . The saxophonist Antoine Roney is his younger brother.

In March 2020, Roney died at the age of 59 as a result of a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Wallace Roney (2012)

Honourings and prices

In 1989 and 1980, Roney won the Down Beat competition for Best College Jazz Instrumentalist ; In 1989 and 1990 Wallace won the Down Beat Critic's Poll as a trumpeter, which deserves further attention. In 1995 he received a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance for A Tribute to Miles by Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Wallace Roney, Wayne Shorter & Tony Williams .

Discographic notes

Lexigraphic entries

Web links

Commons : Wallace Roney  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Legendary jazz trumpeter Wallace Roney dies of complications from coronavirus
  2. ↑ M. Kunzler Jazz Lexicon . P. 1112
  3. ^ Süddeutsche Zeitung: Wallace Roney. Retrieved April 3, 2020 .
  4. ↑ Death report
personal data
SURNAME Roney, Wallace
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz trumpeter
DATE OF BIRTH May 25, 1960
PLACE OF BIRTH Philadelphia
DATE OF DEATH March 31, 2020
Place of death Paterson , New Jersey