No Room For Argument. . . .?

[jazzbo]

Okay, I'll freely admit it, I've been listening to a Wallace Roney cd and enjoying it somewhat. . . .

This from 2000, No Room For Argument, is interesting. Sure he plays as if he were Miles. If you look closely at the liners, there is a quote from II Kings that would lead one to infer that he thinks of himself as taking the prophetic mantle from Miles as Elisha did from Elijah. And the music is definitely MILESIAN in a Nefertit-Filles de Kilamanjaro-Waterbabies-Bitches Brew sort of way (with a few Oberheim like organ-synth blasts thrown in to Get Up With It-ize a minute or two.)

But with Mrs. Roney (Geri Allen) and Buster Williams and Lenny White and others it's not just throwaway music. It does represent a tiny little updating of the style of the material from its Milesian roots, perhaps. . . or perhaps not. I still find myself enjoying the texture and the playing, and even enjoying the fact that it IS so Milesian!

So I'm divided about this. I clearly enjoy it. I also feel it's somewhat of a waste for someone to emulate so closely the work of another, and not really have much more than just imitation as a result!

Anyone else hear this and have impressions?

Edited June 9, 2003 by jazzbo

[Late]

I haven't heard this one. But I like the little Roney I've heard for the same reasons you seem to. Without trying to hijack the direction of this thread, have you heard the date Roney recorded the day Miles died? Seth Air is a nice one, with a young Jacky Terrasson on board.

[Soul Stream]

I've always enjoyed Roney. Don't have any of his CDs (hey, I'm still working on Miles ). But I'd like to hear that album. With that lineup, how could you go wrong. He maybe "ghosting" miles, so to speak, but in reality...who ain't? It's on my "to get" list....

[jazzbo]

No, I haven't heard that one. I've heard a few of the Muses and his work with Tony Williams, but I haven't been too impressed til this one. I liked his work elsewhere but this I like a bit more.

[Joe G]

Haven't heard much Roney. Another album that takes on the legacy of electric Miles, and succeeds, IMO, is this, from guitarist Dave Stryker:

Shades of Miles - 1998 Stryker's themes inspired by Mile's late 60's/early 70's music performed by Billy Hart, Manolo Badrena,Terry Burns, Marc Copland, Larry Goldings, Steve Slagle, Billy Drewes, and Brian Lynch.

[jazzbo]

Yes, I have the Stryker. I like it. The Henry Kaiser/Leo Smith works are good as well. Though these takes the next, guitar-phase of 'lectric Miles as their cue, unlike the Roney.

It's sort of like someone exploring an odd little offshoot, because even though fusion fired and flew with a bang, and the electric Miles material was a big catalyst, so little of what followed really sounded like this!

Edited June 9, 2003 by jazzbo

[randissimo]

Here's a good Roney story....

Back in the early 90's I went to the Jazz showcase to hear the great Elvin Jones. Wallace Roney had only been on elvin's band a couple of weeks and had previously been recording and touring with Tony Williams. Here is my story which took place about 2 weeks after Wallace Roney's first week with Elvin Jones...

The first week playing on Elvin's band, Wallace Roney was having some difficulty fitting into Elvin Jone's unique time approach to swing rhythm which is, if you're familiar with his style, based on an 8th note triplet feel. Tony williams on the other hand, had more of a straight 8th note time feel..

My friend Bud Spangler, who was running sound and recording that night for a radio show at Yoshi's that first week, had a conversation with a somewhat distraught Wallace Roney about the issue, and being a fine drummer himself, Bud brought to Roney's attention the obvious difference between Elvin' time feel and Tony's. Roney nodded his head and told Bud he had never thought about the diffence before. After that conversation the last set seemed to swing a little better for Wallace.

2 weeks later at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago they are in the middle of an intense set and Wallace Roney is up there blowing a blistering solo on a medium tempo blues... As he ends his solo, Elvin drops his dynamics down real low and says very audibly, "That was nice Wally, just don't bite off more than you can chew".. I was sitting 3 or 4 rows back from the band and clearly heard this comment from Elvin, which was meant sincerely, but had a great comic affect on the other band members as well as those in the audience who heard the remark.. You should have seen Roney's face after Elvijn said that. Wallace Roney sounded great that night!

Edited June 9, 2003 by randissimo

[JSngry]

Wallace Roney married to Geri Allen - the luckiest man alive if you ask me.

[randissimo]

Wallace Roney married to Geri Allen - the luckiest man alive if you ask me.

Yeah, she's not only a great pianist, she's a "stone fox!"

I saw Roney with her at the Jazz Showcase 5 yrs ago..

[Cali]

Bought this one the first week it was released. On first listen it was a "Wow". After repeated listenings, it became like a "pseudo-Miles" recording and I lost interest. Lately, I've listened to it frequently. I've even included it in my "itunes" library on the computer, so, I hear it when I'm working.

My current feelings about this album is, it's good background music and occasionally stimulating. I think I "get" what Roney is doing, and I can appreciate it on different levels. I even picked-up on the Prince reference on "Virtual Chocolate Cherry", remembering how much Miles respected Prince. I like this album, but it is not music that commands my undivided attention.