Search - Wallace Roney :: No Job Too Big Or Small

Trumpeter Wallace Roney has often been criticized for doing something very well--sounding like Miles Davis, circa 1966. The resemblance can be uncanny, particularly when Roney is playing at slower tempos with a Harmon mute. Once you get past that issue, though, Roney is a superbly expressive trumpeter, whether he's launching fiery runs in the upper register on up-tempo tunes or simmering on ballads. This is a "best of" collection, compiled from Roney's recordings for the Muse label between 1987 and 1993, and it includes a good mix of jazz standards, from Clifford Brown's "Daahoud" to Davis's "Solar." The supporting musicians are all first-rate. The bands are a series of quintets that include tenor saxophonists Gary Thomas and Ravi Coltrane, pianists Mulgrew Miller and Geri Allen, bassists Charnett Moffett and Christian McBride, and drummers Tony Williams and Cindy Blackman. It's a generous selection at a budget price. --Stuart Broomer