Wayne Wallace

The Reckless Search for Beauty

February 7, 2007

 
 
Wallace plays "Rhythm and Rhyme" Sunday, February 11 at the Jazzschool in Berkeley. 4:30 and 6:30 p.m., $18. Jazzschool.com
Related Stories: Wayne Wallace
Article Tools

San Francisco trombonist Wayne Wallace's fingers have been in so many home-baked musical pies it's a wonder he hasn't had a street or bridge named for him. Wallace has played, recorded, composed, and arranged for the likes of Santana, the Asian American Jazz Orchestra, Chris Isaak, and Pete Escovedo and his daughter Sheila E. Inspired by many genres and styles, he leans toward jazz, Afro-Cuban dance music, and funk/R&B.

Wallace kicks off this year with two distinct discs, the large-group jazz opus Dedication and the pan-Latin-American approach of The Reckless Search for Beauty. The latter is an inspired mix of originals and covers, with arrangements based on several styles of Caribbean or South American dance music or creative combinations thereof. Bill Withers' hit "Use Me," ecstatically voiced by Kat Parra, features a synthesis of churning Afro-Cuban and old-school funk rhythms while maintaining the pensively lusty theme of the original. Duke Ellington's lovely impressionistic ballad "Chromatic Love Affair" is given a languid, dreamy bolero treatment. Aside from a couple of (thankfully brief) dated, twittering synthesizer solos recalling '80s TV cop show themes, Reckless Search is a rousing, beguiling, nigh-on-perfect survey of the Afro-Latin diaspora that'll have you dancing and baa-baa-loouu-ing past midnight.

YOUR COMMENT


RECENT ARTICLES BY MARK KERESMAN

Trapped Animal
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Is and Always Was
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Impediments
Wednesday, October 21, 2009

MUSIC SEARCH

Select One or More Criteria
From    To 

MUSIC BLOGS

Ear Bud

10:48 am, Friday November 6
5:08 pm, Thursday November 5
10:47 am, Thursday November 5

THIS WEEK IN MUSIC

Escape 2 Mars 
In and Out of Control
Live 2009: 6th Annual Concert Tour
This week, we review Disgust of Us, The Downer Party, Birds & Batteries, and Sweedish.
Dick Valentine of Electric Six wants to put the fun back in rock 'n' roll.
Amiri Baraka celebrates his new essay collection at Yoshi's.

MOST POPULAR MUSIC STORIES

VIEWED E-MAILED COMMENTED
Bringing on the heartaches: David Cantwell has country's number.
Dick Valentine of Electric Six wants to put the fun back in rock 'n' roll.
We review the late rapper's thizzessential works.
Back in the '60s, he helped put Oakland soul on the map. Then came the murder conviction.
Using every sonic scrap, Andrew Whiteman's Apostle of Hustle cooks up an ornately far-out experience.

THIS WEEK'S FEATURE


When millionaire real estate guru Russ Whitney sicced his lawyers on a local critic named John Reed, he had no idea what he was getting into.

SPECIAL REPORTS

Out & About, Home & Garden, Food & Drink, and Summer Arts
Music, film, and art at this year's festival.
Learning to Live with Less

RECENT ISSUES


Nov 4, 2009

Oct 28, 2009

Oct 21, 2009

Oct 14, 2009

Oct 7, 2009

Sep 30, 2009