Wallace Roney at San Jose Jazz Winter Fest at Cafe Stritch

GA $30 advance, $35 door

Philadelphia-born Wallace Roney began playing the trumpet at age six. As a child prodigy, by the age of 12 Wallace became the youngest member of the Philadelphia brass ensemble, which was comprised of members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. During his affiliation with the brass ensemble, Wallace met jazz great Clark Terry, who became a major influence, teacher, mentor and friend. Roney then moved to Washington, DC, where he attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and was offered a job in Art Blakey’s band. Though he did not take the job, Roney did continue to sit in with a lot of great musicians, including Cedar Walton, Sam Jones and Billy Higgins....

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GA $30 advance, $35 door

Philadelphia-born Wallace Roney began playing the trumpet at age six. As a child prodigy, by the age of 12 Wallace became the youngest member of the Philadelphia brass ensemble, which was comprised of members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. During his affiliation with the brass ensemble, Wallace met jazz great Clark Terry, who became a major influence, teacher, mentor and friend. Roney then moved to Washington, DC, where he attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and was offered a job in Art Blakey’s band. Though he did not take the job, Roney did continue to sit in with a lot of great musicians, including Cedar Walton, Sam Jones and Billy Higgins.

At the age of 16, he met trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, who would become the second greatest influence in his musical life. Wallace went on to study at Howard University, but left after only a year to become a member of Art Blakey’s Big Band. He also played with Joe Henderson, Dollar Brand and then studied for a year at Berklee School of Music before leaving there to rejoin Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Since playing with the Jazz Messengers, Roney has played with everyone from Jay McShann to Herbie Hancock.

In 1983 he met Miles Davis, his idol and greatest teacher. Wallace’s relationship with Miles was similar to Louis Armstrong’s relationship with Joe (King) Oliver. Being with Miles gave him insight and tutelage on being a melodist, being on top of the most creative music, and uncompromisingly taking it further. All of the time spent studying under and hanging with Miles Davis led Miles to ask Wallace to play with him on the Historic Miles at Montreux Concert. When Miles died in 1991, Wallace joined VSOP, which included Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, and Wayne Shorter. It is with VSOP that Wallace won his second Grammy. Wallace formed his own group in 1993.

Other than periodic special projects and playing intermittently with other all-star groups, he has been leading his band and is dedicated to continuing to add to the jazz music legacy.

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