Jazz Police - Wallace Roney Quintet at the Jazz Showcase, October 20th

An acclaimed protégé of Miles Davis, Wallace Roney faced criticism early in his career for his significant similarities to his mentor in tone and expression. His latest recordings and three Grammy Awards have served to dispel accusations of mimicry, proving that the stylistic affinity is in no way a cover for any shortcomings or lack of individuality. On tour with his quintet, Roney will perform at the Jazz Showcase, October 20th - 23rd

A Philadelphia native, Roney was initially pulled into jazz by his father, a boxer and trumpet player with a large record collection. But he was truly inspired hearing Miles Davis. "Miles was my idol from the beginning," he says, but Clifford Brown was his father’s favorite and over time, Roney "just kind of put the two together." Roney was on a music education track from age four when he was a student at Philadelphia’s Settlement School of Music; he started trumpet lessons at age 6. By the time he enrolled at the Duke Ellington High School for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, he had already made his recording debut; at 17 he had a brief stint in New York playing with Philly Jo Jones and toured with Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) at 19; by age 20 he had been named Down Beat Best Young Jazz Musician of the Year for two consecutive years. Following studies at Berklee College of Music, Roney was determined to make a living as a musician, sold all of his belongings (including his trumpet!) and moved to New York in 1981 (at age 21) to audition with a borrowed horn for Art Blakey. He won the gig and became an acclaimed member of the Jazz Messengers.

Rashaan Carter©Andrea Canter

Antoine Roney © Andrea Canter

Roney was still using a borrowed trumpet when Miles Davis first heard him at Radio City Music Hall in 1983, offering the young musician one of his own horns. Thus Roney became the only trumpeter to be directly mentored by Miles Davis, a relationship that culminated in collaboration at the 1991 Montreux Jazz Festival (recorded as Miles and Quincy at Montreux) shortly before Davis’ death. Roney left Blakey to join Tony Williams’ Quintet in 1986; he also performed with David Murray, Slide Hampton, John Hicks, and Charlie Rouse. At the end of the decade, Roney was twice named as Best Trumpeter to Watch in the Down Beat Magazine's Critic's Poll. After Davis’s death, Roney came together with Williams, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Wayne Shorter in a series of live tributes to the late trumpet king (billed as VSOP and released in 1994 as A Tribute to Miles). He also filled Miles’ trumpet chair in Gerry Mulligan’s Rebirth of the Cool project.

In the 90s he made several recordings for Warner Brothers and Concord/Stretch. Now on High Note Records (his latest is If Only for One Night), Roney’s current work pulls in “stuff I hear today, the new synthesizers and the new sounds that appeal to me. I bring all those elements together and still try to play what I consider straight-ahead, innovative music.” His touring quintet includes brother Antoine Roney (saxophones and bass clarinet); Aruán Ortiz (keyboards); Rashaan Carter (bass) and Kush Abadey (drums).

The Jazz Showcase is located at Dearborn Station, 809 S. Plymouth Court in Chicago. Check the Jazz Showcase website for updated information at www.jazzshowcase.com or call (312) 360-0234.