American trumpeter Wallace Roney is going to introduce himself at the 16th Jazz Fest as a member of the Miles Smiles ensemble which is made of former associates of Miles Davis whose influence on the scene is significant, even 20 years after his death.
Roney’s story is unique among musicians of his generation because he is the only trumpeter Miles ever mentored. They played together since 1983, when Miles first heard him at Carnegie Hall, until he died in 1991. The influence he had on Roney as a mentor was so strong that Roney is able to trick even most experienced listeners into thinking Miles is playing.
But Roney is not to be considered an imitator of great Miles, he is an extraordinary instrumentalist with a distinguished style: neck breaking solos alternate with flaming and explosive sound in the faster sections. One can say that Roney plays some of Miles’ sections technically better and more precise then Miles himself, whose repertoire he will play in his spirit but with new freshness and importance.
After Mileses death his associates, today some of most important American jazzists: Roney, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Wayne Shorter and Tony Williams founded an ensemble and organized a huge tour to honor Miles. They recorded the Grammy winning album A Tribute to Miles.
Roney will play for the first time in Sarajevo on 01 November on Jazz Fest’s main stage at the Bosnian Cultural Center. In his almost four decades long career he has played in worlds most important venues and festivals. He shared the stage with great names like Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins and Dizzy Gillespie.