WALLACE RONEY JR

BRUSH CULTURE / MAY 6

The name Wallace Roney Jr. may be familiar to anyone acquainted with the history of one of the signature instruments in jazz: the trumpet. He is, of course, the son of the legendary trumpeter Wallace Roney and pianist Geri Allen – both great instrumentalists and intrepid composers. But make no mistake, Wallace Jr. is a brilliant trumpeter and composer in his own right. His is a singular voice. It comes steaming out of the bell of his burnished horn. It’s not hard to be seduced by the poetry of his ballads as he heats each note, then caresses them out of his horn, creating one simmering phrase after another. Or be witness to a flame-throwing trumpeter as he pays tribute to the ancestors with music dedicated to Tootie Heath and others. RDG