Wallace Roney - Stand (2012) [Hi-Res]

Wallace Roney is a true giant in the world of jazz trumpet. A protegé of Miles Davis, Wallace carries on the tradition of bop with his amazing ensemble.
Wallace Roney is an American hard bop and post-bop trumpeter. Roney took lessons from Clark Terry and Dizzy Gillespie and studied with Miles Davis from 1985 until the latter’s death in 1991.
Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, and Clark Terry are names that have undeniably left influential footprints on music. Carrying on the legacy, Wallace Roney, a student of all three and one of Miles Davis' last students, presents a private performance of his dazzling trumpet playing alongside his stellar band.
Stand opens with “Stargazer,” a Roney original. It has a hip-hop break beat and Antoine Roney on soprano sax has a great solo that is flute-like. Eric Allen is featured with lots of fills and Jeanty’s “scratches” on the turntable were more distracting than adding to the mix.
Clarence Seay’s funky bass line and Eric Allen’s percussive drumming provided the beat for the “rap to this” horn lines from the two Roneys on “Invader Time.” Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” has Irving playing Rhodes’ keyboard lines that alternate between chords and spacey single notes that give the tune a cross between fusion and a Latinesque feel. “Quadrant” brings to mind a Headhunters’ vibe and Wallace is at his most Miles-like as he moves in and out of the dominant rhythm. “Metropolis” has a bop like beginning and drummer Allen is featured, whereas Jeanty’s scratching seems a bit out of place. “Prototype” is a special track with some lovely melancholy trumpet by Wallace, while his brother has a beautiful tenor sax solo. Jeanty’s work on the turntable fits in here nicely. This was perhaps the most “conventional” jazz track of the session.
The title cut has Irving playing very funky keyboard lines and Wallace’s arrangement of this well-known Sly Stone classic breaks out of the jazz idiom-taking a “stand” perhaps? – as Seay’s bass line and Irving’s chords bring to mind early DJ Shadow. Another classic soul tune, “Just My Imagination” concludes our “in house” concert with moody bass clarinet from Antoine Roney, and melodic trumpet from Wallace as the song builds up in intensity.
Wallace Roney has been aptly compared to Miles Davis in his tone and timbre, and he shares Miles’ vision of being on the cutting edge of mixing musical genres. You will certainly fit that on this Blu-ray disc. For those that dig the entrée into hip-hop and fusion, you will dig Stand. The superb sound and crystal clear HD video will just be frosting on the cake. (Jeff Krow, with able assistance from Daniel Krow)

Wallace Roney, trumpet
Antoine Roney, tenor saxophone
Val Jeanty, turntablist
Robert Lee Irving III, keyboards
Clarence Seay, double bass
Eric Allen, drums

Digitally remastered

Tracklist:
1.01 - Wallace Roney - Stargazer (9:29)
1.02 - Wallace Roney - Invader Time (10:10)
1.03 - Wallace Roney - Let's Stay Together (12:34)
1.04 - Wallace Roney - Quadrant (13:26)
1.05 - Wallace Roney - Metropolis (7:31)
1.06 - Wallace Roney - Prototype (10:25)
1.07 - Wallace Roney - Stand (11:35)
1.08 - Wallace Roney - Just My Imagination (7:53)