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Wayne Wallace

Five-time Grammy nominee, WAYNE WALLACE, is one of the more respected exponents of African American-Latin music in the world today. He is known for the use of traditional forms and styles in combination with contemporary music, and has earned recognition with his recent placement in the Downbeat Critics Polls under the trombone and producer categories. Mr. Wallace is an accomplished arranger, educator, and composer with compositions for film and television. He has also received grants form the Creative Work Fund, the National Endowments for the Arts, the Lila Wallace Foundation, the Institute for Advanced Study and the San Francisco Arts Commission.

Mr. Wallace has performed, recorded and studied with acknowledged masters of the Afro-Latin and Jazz idioms such as Aretha Franklin, Bobby Hutcherson, Earth Wind and Fire, Pete Escovedo, Santana, Julian Priester, Conjunto Libre, John Santos, Whitney Houston,Tito Puente, Steve Turre, John Lee Hooker, Con-funk-shun, Francisco Aguabella, Manny Oquendo and Libre, Max Roach, and Orestes Vilató. This experience has provided a solid foundation for Mr. Wallace’s current explorations of the intersections of diverse cultural styles, and rhythmic concepts.

Born and raised in San Francisco, California, May 29th 1952, at an early age Wayne was exposed to Blues, Country and Western, and Jazz . The fertile musical environment of the San Francisco Bay Area shaped his career in a unique way. His studies of Afro-Latin music and Jazz have included several trips to Cuba, New York, and Puerto Rico.

Mr. Wallace is widely respected as a teacher and historian and is currently an instructor at the University of Indiana in Bloomington and also taught at San Jose State University, Stanford University and the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley. He has conducted lectures, workshops and clinics in the Americas and Europe since 1983.

As the head of his own record label, Patois Records, Wayne has created a unique company with a passionate mission of developing and chronicling the multi-lingual styles of the San Francisco Bay Area music scene. Patois Records is gaining attention in the industry and internationally. Under his direction the label has released 17 different recordings to critical acclaim. The labels oeuvre currently contains recordings by Mr. Wallace, the anthologies Salsa de la Bahia Vol.1 and Salsa de la Bahia Vol.2, Ritmos Unidos, Mitch Shiner and the Blooming Tones Big Band, The VW Brothers, vocalists Kat Parra, Alexa Weber Morales, and Kristina. Wayne is an endorsee of Conn-Selmer trombones. Source: Wayne Wallace

Awards

Co-composed and co-arranged, along with Jon Jang, the soundtrack to "Speaking in Tongues," an award-winning documentary about bilingual education, currently broadcasting nationwide on PBS: www.speakingintonguesfilm.info Received a 2002 San Francsico Arts Comission grant for composing the music to The Quilt Received a 2002 Creative Work Fund grant for composing the music to The Quilt Composed and arranged the music for Entre El Aliento y El Sol for the New Shoes/Old Souls dance company, in January 1999 Composed and arranged the music for The Quilt, a spoken word/dance piece based on a quilt designed by the artist Faith Ringold Composed and arranged the music for Dance Variations a suite for piano, cello and percussion for Jean Jeanrenaud of the Kronos String Quartet Received a 1996 grant from the ZellerbachFoundation for composition of a Jazz/Afro-Cuban musical suite Taught a Jazz and Blues Workshop at the National School of the Arts in Havana Cuba, in March 1994 Received a 1993 N.E.A. grant for jazz composition to compose a three part suite Digging Up the Roots reflecting the diverse musical cultures of the San Francisco Bay Area Composed and arranged the music for the American Conservatory Theater 1993 production of Pecong by Steve Carter Awarded the 1993 Bay Area Theater Critics Award for best original score in a drama for the musical Pecong Co-composed and arranged the music for the 1991 Theater Works world premiere of the musical Go Down Garvey by Danny Duncan Taught a Afro-Cuban music workshop in West Germany June-July 1989


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Album Review

Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet: The Rhythm of Invention

Read "The Rhythm of Invention" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Da qualche tempo anche il latin jazz di matrice afro-cubana cerca nuove forme d'espressione, pur rispettando i suoi caratteri tipici. In questo nuovo lavoro il quintetto di Wayne Wallace amplia quanto iniziato nel precedente Canto America dove coniugava ritmi del folklore caraibico e motivi del tipico latin jazz con orchestrazioni per archi. La produzione attuale è meno ambiziosa della precedente dov'era coinvolta l'Orquestra Sinfonietta—una nutrita formazione da camera per un totale di trenta musicisti—ma sempre efficace. Ora ...

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Radio & Podcasts

Freddie Hubbard and Bennie Moten

Read "Freddie Hubbard and Bennie Moten" reviewed by Joe Dimino


Beginning show number 608 with some Latin flair and doing those honors is veteran trombone cat Wayne Wallace with the tune “All The Things You Are" off his latest 2019 CD Rhythm of Invention. From that rousing point, we go into Freddie Hubbard, then Akiko Hamilton Dechter “Moment's Notice" and the great Ben Webster. We profile a new jny: Kansas City cat in B.J. Jansen and visit the old KC days with Bennie Moten. As the show carries on, we ...

4
Catching Up With

Trombonist Wayne Wallace racking up Grammy nods with distinctive record label

Read "Trombonist Wayne Wallace racking up Grammy nods with distinctive record label" reviewed by David Becker


Usually when a musician starts a record label, it's with no intent beyond releasing his own music. Not so with San Francisco-based trombonist Wayne Wallace. Since forming Patois Records (Motto: “Promoting improvisation") more than a decade ago, Wallace has used the label as a vehicle to promote both his own Latin jazz work and music of fellow free spirits performing everything from salsa to big-band jazz. Along the way, the label has picked up a handful of Grammy nominations, including ...

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Year in Review

James Nadal's Best Releases of 2016

Read "James Nadal's Best Releases of 2016" reviewed by James Nadal


Having had the honor and pleasure to review over eighty records in 2016, choosing a dozen is a difficult task. There are featured blues and soul vocalists, which are maintaining the significance of these genres alive with the authentic talent and dedication required. Included are stimulating offerings from innovative fusion and experimental artists, as well as diverse instrumental and vocal performances from Africa and the Caribbean. My sincere appreciation to all the musicians, producers, promoters, publicists and friends who send ...

Album Review

Michael Spiro, Wayne Wallace, La Orquesta Sinfonietta: Canto América

Read "Canto América" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Impegnati da decenni nella valorizzazione del jazz di matrice afro-cubana, Michael Spiro e Wayne Wallace operano qui una fusione tra ritmi del folklore caraibico, motivi del tipico latin jazz e orchestrazioni classiche per archi. Un progetto ambizioso che può sembrare nuovo ma rinnova un incontro lontano. “La musica latina della tradizione ha sempre avuto saldi legami con la tradizione classica per archi--dicono i due musicisti nelle note--Entrando negli anni settanta però, quell'estetica è stata accantonata e la maggioranza dei progetti ...

3
Album Review

Wayne Wallace: Latin Jazz Jazz Latin

Read "Latin Jazz Jazz Latin" reviewed by Jeff Dayton-Johnson


Trombonist Wayne Wallace and his Latin Jazz Ensemble have a well-oiled record-making machine that seems incapable of turning out a subpar album.Therein lies the mystery. The ingredients that Wallace and his bandmates pour into the machine are eminently predictable--a studiously well-sampled array of Latin rhythms, didactically specified in the liner notes; a mixture of strong original compositions and Latin settings of jazz standards; tight ensemble playing by the quintet with plenty of space to breathe; a smattering of ...

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Album Review

Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet: To Hear From There

Read "To Hear From There" reviewed by Bridget A. Arnwine


Trombonist/composer Wayne Wallace and his music could probably be characterized by any number of clichéd phrases, but why use a cliché when the truth will do. The truth is that Wayne Wallace's To Hear From There is a far better record than its Grammy-nominated predecessor, ¡Bien Bien! (Patois, 2009), and that's saying a lot. Wallace's greatest gift to the music on To Hear From There is that he approaches it respectfully. Wallace, an American man of African ancestry, performs Latin ...

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Recording

Wayne Wallace’s Latin Jazz / Jazz Latin Earns Grammy Nomination For “Best Latin Jazz Album”

Wayne Wallace’s Latin Jazz / Jazz Latin Earns Grammy Nomination For “Best Latin Jazz Album”

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications

World-renowned trombonist, composer, arranger, and producer Wayne Wallace has earned a GRAMMY nomination for “Best Latin Jazz Album” for his CD Latin Jazz / Jazz Latin his seventh CD on the Patois label. The CD, which topped the radio charts and earned rave reviews and a place on numerous top CDs of the year lists, displays all the thrilling interplay, melodic invention, and blazing improvisational flights that distinguish his music. Every tune reflects the flow of rhythmic currents between Caribbean ...

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TV / Film

The Last Mambo: A Documentary Celebrating The Salsa/Latin Jazz Community Of The San Francisco Bay Area

The Last Mambo: A Documentary Celebrating The Salsa/Latin Jazz  Community Of The San Francisco Bay Area

Source: Sheryl Lynn Thomas

BERKELEY, CA: THE LAST MAMBO is a dynamic exploration of the past, present and future of Salsa/Latin Jazz community in the San Francisco Bay area. THE LAST MAMBO traces the 60+ year evolution of the West Coast Latin sound, a potent gumbo of Afro-Cuban rhythms, jazz harmonies and funk infused grooves. THE LAST MAMBO, shot and acquired in High Definition Video, is the first documentary to provide an in-depth examination of the cultural, economic and social forces that shape this ...

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Performance / Tour

Grammy-Nominated Trombonist, Composer and Arranger Wayne Wallace Performs Throughout California

Grammy-Nominated Trombonist, Composer and Arranger Wayne Wallace Performs Throughout California

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications

August 12—October 22 Appearances in San Jose, Redwood City, San Diego, San Francisco, Berkeley, San Mateo, and Oakland Recent CD To Hear From There Earned 4 Stars in DownBeat and International Acclaim “An accomplished arranger, educator, and composer." —Maria Hinojosa, Latino USA “No matter what or where he plays, Wallace brings not just musicianship but also that rare quality of music as the means to uplift listeners' spirits to a higher level." —Larry Kelp, East Bay Express “San Francisco native ...

55

Interview

Latin Jazz Conversations: Wayne Wallace (Part 6)

Latin Jazz Conversations: Wayne Wallace (Part 6)

Source: The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz

The career of a jazz artist contains a number of plateaus, and with each additional ascent into higher artistry comes more responsibility. An artist needs to continually push themselves into new stages of their evolution through research and experimentation. At the same time, they hold a responsibility to support their musical peers and enrich their own personal musical community. In order to ensure continued work, they must share their knowledge and make sure that a younger generation of musicians finds ...

73

Interview

Latin Jazz Conversations: Wayne Wallace (Part 5)

Latin Jazz Conversations: Wayne Wallace (Part 5)

Source: The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz

An artist generally spends their younger years building their artistic identity; once they know who they are they need to focus upon preserving their legacy. It's an important act that benefits both their current fans and future generations of musicians curious about their work. An insightful artist puts ample attention into creating a significant body of recordings, but they also need to look at the scene around them. A major collection of work will reflect the impact of the individual ...

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Interview

Latin Jazz Conversations: Wayne Wallace (Part 4)

Latin Jazz Conversations: Wayne Wallace (Part 4)

Source: The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz

Some occurrences in our lives play such a serious impact upon our outlooks, that they forever change our perspective upon the future. For a musician, most of these events come through interactions with other people, most often when least expected. All of a sudden, the people surrounding the music become equally if not more important than the music itself, as tradition and culture wrap around the sounds associated with them. The deeper that the musician goes into the culture, the ...

35

Interview

Latin Jazz Conversations: Wayne Wallace (Part 3)

Latin Jazz Conversations: Wayne Wallace (Part 3)

Source: The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz

Music evolves in a fluid nature, but key individuals and turning points serve as milestones in the musical history of any one region. Certain ideas and approaches are just simply so powerful that they permeate the culture and popular thought of an area. These concepts don't evolve in a vacuum; they are the result of collaboration between a number of inspired people. While these movements are generally fueled by the minds of different individuals, some musicians have such a wide ...

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Interview

Latin Jazz Conversations: Wayne Wallace (Part 2)

Latin Jazz Conversations: Wayne Wallace (Part 2)

Source: The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz

The evolution of jazz charges into the future with the ferocity of a tidal wave, and the strongest musicians ride the momentum into the future. The conglomeration of musical styles and improvisational approaches that shape emerging trends in jazz push the musician through a test of flexibility and durability. Sometimes the musician successfully sails over the crest of these diverse sounds with immense skill, while at other times they fall into the depths of the sea. Like any good surfer, ...

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Interview

Latin Jazz Conversations: Wayne Wallace (Part 1)

Latin Jazz Conversations: Wayne Wallace (Part 1)

Source: The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz

Community plays a powerful role in the creation of a musician; individuals evolve into artists through the impact of the world spinning around them. Musical movements often define a region, leaving their mark upon all its inhabitants. Some areas resonate with a single-minded focus upon one artistic direction while other places overflow with different ideas. For the casual listener, these stylistic trademarks of an area leave a fondness; they stamp the serious musician with an unbreakable imprint. The artist may ...

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Interview

Paois Records: The Little Label That Could

Paois Records: The Little Label That Could

Source: Sheryl Lynn Thomas

What do a radio promoter in Livingston, Texas, an entertainment lawyer in Berkeley, California, a publicist in Lincoln, Massachusetts, a sales rep who is a grandfather, and an operations & marketing director balancing her laptop in one hand and young child in the other have in common? They are all on the team of San Francisco-based Patois Records strategizing a campaign around the upcoming CD release and recent Grammy nomination of label head and Latin Jazz trombonist Wayne Wallace. Wallace, ...

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Rhythm of...

Patois Records
2019

buy

Canto América

Patois Records
2016

buy

Latin Jazz Jazz Latin

Patois Records
2013

buy

To Hear From There

Patois Records
2011

buy

¡Bien Bien!

Red Jazz
2010

buy

Bien Bien!

Patois Records
2009

buy

The Rhythm of Invention

From: The Rhythm of Invention
By Wayne Wallace

Guarachando

From: Intercambio
By Wayne Wallace

Videos

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