Jazz/Latin music expert
Jesse "Chuy" Varela opens the informative liner notes that he wrote for
Wayne Wallace's
Dedication with a very honest and candid statement: "Jazz is not for everyone. It's not exclusive or elitist, but unfortunately, it only speaks to a small percentage of the mass music market who grasp its improvisational vocabulary and spirituality."
Varela goes on to say that "what keeps jazz alive is dedication," and in fact,
Wallace's spirit of dedication comes through quite clearly on this 2006 date (a solid big band-oriented effort that is full of memorable ensemble work). The Bay Area trombonist wears different hats equally well on
Dedication; he shines as both a soloist and a bandleader/arranger, and those arrangements are often as relevant to Latin jazz as they are to post-bop. The material chosen for
Dedication can usually be divided into one of two main categories: either (1)
Wallace originals or, (2) songs that have either a direct or indirect connection to the seminal
John Coltrane. The exception to that rule is flutist
Andrea Brachfeld's "Pat's Song"; everything else on
Dedication falls into one of those two categories. The relevant-to-
Coltrane performances include Latin-flavored arrangements of two
Coltrane pieces ("Mr. Day" and "Spiritual") as well as acoustic pianist
McCoy Tyner's "Some Day."
Tyner was in
Trane's employ in the early to mid-'60s, and he didn't record "Some Day" until his
Song of the New World album in 1973 (six years after
Trane died). Regardless, the
Trane connection is certainly here because the saxophone giant continued to influence
Tyner's writing long after his death. Most of the time, Latin means Afro-Cuban on
Dedication;
Wallace's good-natured "Nena," however, is more Brazilian-minded.
Wallace's dedication to jazz -- both post-bop and Afro-Cuban jazz -- serves him well on this pleasing, well executed CD.