Wayne WallaceSan Francisco based trombonist Wayne Wallace became a professional musician at the age of 16. He has performed with a whole host of artists such as The Asian American Jazz Orchestra, Pearl Bailey, The Count Basie Orchestra, Diane Carroll, Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Conjunto Cespedes, Con Funk Shun (tour), Sammy Davis Jr., Pete Escovedo | Sheila E. (tour), The Joe Henderson Big Band , Lena Horne, Bobby Hutcherson, Irakere et al.
“I am a product of the Bay Area in so many ways," says Wallace, who grew up in San Francisco in 1960s. “I was here during the Peace-Love movement and the end of the Fillmore [Street] jazz scene, I missed the heyday, but I caught the end when some of the clubs still existed."
Not surprisingly, he listened to and played all kinds of music back then, but didn't really embrace Latin music until he began working with Pete Escovedo in the mid-'80s. By then he'd already long been a bebopper with an extensive skill set that also included pop, rock and funk. While he defers to the sheer size and history of the Latin music scenes in Miami and New York, he's quick to point out that his hometown scene has a lot to offer.
“The Latin scene, for me, goes back to Pete Escovedo and him allowing people in his band, like myself, to experiment," he points out. “He ended up being like the Art Blakey of this scene -- everybody at one point passed through his band. The band was such a great platform and I learned so much without going to New York. Then when I started meeting New York musicians, it expanded even more." [allaboutjazz.com]
Wayne Wallace Tour Schedule
Sep 6 3:00pm Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz 5tet at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden [Fort Bragg, CA]
Sep 9 12:30pm The Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz 5tet at Yerba Buena Gardens [San Francisco CA]
Sep 18 All day With The Asian American Orchestra at Northeastern University [Boston, MA]
Sep 29 All day CD release party with The Asian American Orchestra at Yoshis [San Francisco, CA]
Oct 1 7:00pm Discover Jazz -The Rise of Ragtime at Jewish Community Center[San Francisco, CA]
Oct 2 7:00pm The Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz 5tet plays "The Latin Side of Duke Ellington" at the Jazz School [Berkeley, CA]
Oct 17 6:30pm Wayne Wallace/Melecio Magdaluyo Duo at "Bird & Beckett Books" [San Francisco, CA]
Nov 5 All day With Francis Wong "Shanghai Stories 1921 -1934" [TBA]
Nov 14 4:00pm Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz 5tet at Studio Pink House [Saratoga, CA]
Nov 21 7:00pm Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz 5tet at the Jazz School [Berkeley, CA]
Mar 12, 2011 All day With Doug Beavers and "Los Titanes del Trombon" at SF Salsa Festival[San Francisco, CA]
Wayne Wallace Discography
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